Former Illini Kasparas Jakucionis Makes Summer League Debut for Miami Heat

Hopes are high in Miami for the rapid development of Jakucionis, the No. 20 over pick in last month's NBA Draft

Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) shoots the ball during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

You've gotta start somewhere.

Unfortunately for Miami Heat rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis, that location seemed to be at the deepest of the deep ocean-floor bottom. Jakucionis, the former Illinois star, made his NBA Summer League debut on Saturday night at Chase Center in San Francisco, and it would be putting it kindly to say simply that it could have gone better.

First, the positives: Jakucionis, who was selected by Miami with the No. 20 overall pick in last month's NBA Draft, played 25 minutes in his first professional action.

End of positives.

Yeah, the waters were that rough for Jakucionis on his maiden NBA voyage. Facing the San Antonio Spurs' summer squad, Jakucionis shot 1-for-7 from the field (including 0-for-4 on threes) and had three turnovers against one assist. It was the sort of performance that seemed to confirm all the concerns about his most glaring weaknesses coming out of college.

Worse, Summer League is a developmental enterprise, so squads tend to be made up of mostly first- and second-year players. In other words, Jakucionis hasn't even come up against the real thing yet, and already his struggles have become pronounced.

Of course, we're also talking about one game – and a debut, at that, which can be accompanied by nervousness and hesitancy. Also, we may have been a bit too harsh about those lack of positives. Jakucionis was solid enough on defense and, facing what an expected adjustment playing more off the ball (at least initially), he still served as an effective table-setter against the Spurs.

Kasparas Jakučionis with his first Summer League bucket off a turnover by Carter Bryant pic.twitter.com/P0OJsgEBFH

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 5, 2025

At Illinois, Jakucionis didn't seem to let one subpar performance get into his head and bleed into the next. Maybe that bodes well for Sunday, when the Heat are back at the Chase Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers' summer squad (NBA TV, 3:30 CT).

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Why Former Illini Kasparas Jakucionis Will Thrive With the Miami Heat

Social Media Reacts to Illinois' Will Riley Being Drafted by Washington Wizards

ESPN Expects a Trio of Illini to Hear Their Names Called in the 2026 NBA Draft