The Kid Who Could Start on a Giannis-Led Miami Heat Team

There are many questions that are yet unanswered for the Miami Heat this offseason. The potential trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest domino that needs to fall to start to get clarity on the rest. It is rumored that the Milwaukee Bucks are pushing to get more from Miami. That player could be Pelle Larsson,.... leaving Kasparas Jakucionis, last year’s 20th overall first round pick, as a primary rotation player.

I can confirm, via Giannis associate, what Windy has been saying that Giannis "absolutely" wants to go to Heat. Excited about possibility; has been exploring life options in Miami. (Can't elaborate on that yet). BUT (and it's a big BUT), like with Lillard, it's not a case of… https://t.co/BsjKIj9Zd2
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 15, 2026

The start of Kasparas's rookie season was a rocky one at best. He showed flashes during the NBA Summer League of his potential in a 07/11/2025 game against the Atlanta Hawks. He scored 24 points on 58.3% shooting from the field. He drained 5 out of 9 from deep and rounded out the performance with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.

Most of the Summer League he played off ball taking away the best part of his game which is the pick and roll playmaking. He struggled to score off ball especially with other guards trying to fight for their careers showing what they can do. His defense continued to pop and that was enough to earn him playing time throughout the regular season.

Kasparas is 6’5” 200lbs and that frame, competitiveness and agility allowed him to prove his worth to the coaching staff. The small modifications to his base and guide hand placement stabilized his jumper and by seasons end was the leading three point shooter by percentage on the team at 42.3%.

There are some very interesting numbers the deeper you dive into Kasparas’s shooting numbers. Kas shot 61.5% on 2pt field goals with 24-22 seconds on the shot clock and 66.7% with 4-0 seconds left. That shows he doesn’t panic. He also shot 52.2 percent with 15-7 seconds left which is in the flow of the offense when the ball is moving or he is cutting to the rim.

Most of his three-point attempts came with 0 dribbles. He shot 48.1% on those catch and shoot threes. In a system that would be built around Giannis and his gravity driving to the rim. Kas would have a ton of open catch and shoot threes. He has already proven he can capitalize and make the defense pay. His three-point shooting off the bounce isn’t very good, but he showed in college he can do it.

Kas does have a good counter to teams closing out on him hard. He pump fakes well and beats the hard close. He is 66.7% shooting from the field on 1 dribble 2pt shots. He improved his ball handling by seasons end. He shot 41.7% 2pt shooting when using 7+ dribbles.

One of Jakucionis's superpowers would be the feel he has for the game. He played a lot with Jaime Jaquez jr who was runner up for 6th man of the year. He knows who to get the ball to and when. He passed 23.6 percent of the time to Jaime. He also passed to Bam Adebayo 2nd most out of any of his teammates. This is with most of his on-ball usage at the end of the season. He averaged 2.6 assists and only .9 turnovers per game at 20 years old.

Jakuckonis helped the Heat in a variety of ways that could translate if he was playing with Giannis. He doesn’t need the ball. He was terrific on catch and shoot threes. He is a relentless worker on the defensive end of the floor. He also went after every rebound imaginable. He chased long rebounds pf 10+ feet 33.6% of the time. He crashed the glass on the short 3–6-foot rebounds 25.5% of the time.

The biggest question is, can he start on a contending team with Giannis and Bam leading the way?

The answer to that question in both the eye test and performance is a resounding yes. His growth from preseason to seasons end was night and day. He got better with leaps and bounds. The catch and shoot threes and willingness to defend 94 feet tooth and nail stands out as an ancillary piece that will be much needed.

He doesn’t make many mistakes and can get the ball moving. If his growth continues at this pace we could be talking about a most improved player candidate. Wherever he is.

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