How Jaime Jaquez Jr. Fits with the OKC Thunder
With the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the offseason, it’s officially time to time to switch gears to prospect evaluation mode.
And this year’s impending draft has plenty of players that can help bolster the OKC core.
No matter how unlikely it is Oklahoma City lands certain prospects, the Thunder Fit series will take a look at how they would fit with the current team’s configuration. And with a war chest of assets, you never know how far the front office could move up to acquire a player.
The next prospect up in the series is UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who continued his strong career with the Bruins in his senior season.
Here’s how Jaquez could fit alongside the rest of the Thunder core:
Offense
Standing at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Jaquez has solid length and was one of the more well-rounded collegiate basketball players, meaning he’s likely on the Thunder’s radar heading into the 2023 NBA Draft.
He averaged 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game en route to a Sweet 16 appearance for the Bruins, shooting 48 percent overall and 32 percent from beyond the arc.
In the OKC offense, Jaquez would offer another strong slashing and cutting option who possesses a solid handle and can make decisions with the ball in-hands.
Jaquez won’t offer much in the ways of floor spacing, but he has a knack for finding his spots inside the arc, and possesses plenty of feel for the game, which is nearly a must in the Thunder system.
Defense
Jaquez was a solid defensive playmaker at UCLA, using his length and feel to stifle even the best collegiate players.
He’s moderately versatile — struggling with smaller, faster players — but is able to size up fairly often via his physicality. Alongside versatile defenders like Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, Jaquez would slot seamlessly into the Oklahoma City defense.
The forward might be out of Oklahoma City's range at No. 37, so they'll potentially have to trade up a few spots or back into the first round to nab his talents.
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