We are rolling onward with our 2025-26 Miami Heat player review series. Today, we break down the season from third-year wing Jaime Jaquez Jr.! Let’s dive into it!
Past Player Reviews:
Brief Overview:
2025-26 stats (75 games):
- 15.4 PPG
- 5.0 RPG
- 4.7 APG
- 50.7 FG%
- 31.7 3P%
- 53.9 eFG%
- 57.0 TS%
Heading into 2025-26, question surrounded whether Jaquez was going to acclimate and bounce back from his dismal 2024-25 season. He immediately demolished any and all concerns, putting together a career year. Jaquez finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind only San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson, despite leading all bench players in total points, assists, points per game and assists per game. He fit seamlessly in the Heat’s new free-flowing offense, oftentimes being one of their foremost hubs, while also showing growth as an individual and team defender. Lo and behold, Jaquez was one of the Heat’s few bright spots.
Numbers to note:
41.4 – 3-point percentage over last 19 games
Is Jaime Jaquez Jr. a reliable 3-point shooter? No. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least shed light on his 3-point shooting to end the season.
His 31.7 percent efficiency was pretty uninspiring after shooting 31.8 percent over his first two seasons. His shooting — or lack thereof — is perhaps his biggest weakness as a player; he was a poor shooter at UCLA, and that hasn’t changed.
Though Jaquez ended the season on a very encouraging note. Over his final 20 games, which dates back to the beginning of March, he shot 41.4 percent from beyond the arc, albeit on 3.7 attempts per game. It’s modest volume, but for a shooter of his caliber, that’s not insignificant. And he looked as confident as we’ve seen from him as a pro.
That doesn’t mean there’s more to come because, at the end of the day, it’s a small sample. But it’s an encouraging one, if nothing else. If he can improve his 3-point efficiency to even ~34-35 percent, his skillset offensively can be weaponized even more.
68.5 – Rim efficiency
After a poor sophomore season, Jaquez’s bounce back was highlighted by his finishing around the rim. He developed more counters, became more unpredictable, and thus, became more efficient. Jaquez converted on 68.5 percent of his rim attempts, according to Cleaning The Glass. Among all forwards, that mark ranks in he 63rd percentile. Additionally, Jaquez shot 46.1 percent on short 2s (79th percentile).
24.0 – Assist Percentage
Jaquez’s assist percentage has grown amicably each season, rising from 13.9 to 17.9 to now 24.0, respectively. His figure was the second-best on the Heat — trailing Davion Mitchell’s 24.0 percent.
At times, Jaquez’s tunnel vision would be a little aggravating. Other times, he would do a good job locating cutters or open shooters, especially when he was in the mid-post, where he thrived. His playmaking was a mixed bag; I still think he needs to cut down on the turnovers, but I’m encouraged to see his playmaking take a bump the more reps he’s received on-ball.
Best Game?
I’m not sure how many would agree, but Jaquez’s 22-point, 13-rebound and seven-assist performance across 33 minutes on Nov. 10 against the Cleveland Cavaliers was maybe his best all around performance of the season. He shot 7-of-12 from the floor, recorded two blocks and one steal, too.
What’s next?
This year was a great one for Jaquez. Now, the 25-year-old must continue to improve upon it. His confidence continued to grow throughout the season, even though he, like every player, endured some lumps. But Jaquez has to grow as a shooter to justify a big payday — he’s extension eligible — as well as continue to grow as a ballhandler, playmaker and one-on-one defender.
I’ll be curious to see if Miami does commit long-term money to him or will wait until he’s a restricted free agent to act. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he’s moved for, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo or another premier talent.
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orlando missed 23 shots in a row and theyre a playoff team what a joke we cant beat them ever f u pat
Now Jaime is a player worthy of a long term commitment. I do think he still has some more upside, and I also think his shooting percentage on threes will continue along his improved numbers. If you think about it, his improvement from last year to this one was pretty amazing. I look forward to seeing how good he becomes next season.
Why did Mazzulla come out with that ridiculous starting lineup? They had never played together! That set the tone and Philly jumped on it. Couldn’t get to the entire Boston Globe article this morning but game article title mentioned “stubborn Mazzulla”. Who does that sound like?
u wach vucevic play hes unplayable.u lose tatum your in panic mode.not starting queta was dumbot.to much martinez he cant shoot for sht
one diff between bam embid besides size and talent is embid wanted the ball all the fn time our maxy guy wants the ball when hes playing wash generals.bam needs to be in a trade sick of him being face of team,tyler to otoh.need new leaders who can get us a chip. bam ty need to be in a trade together for the man from athens.easiest way to get to finals with greek..give them any other youngen they want also besides ware.greek likes our heat culture its def a 50 50 shot.i believe to get him.
Riley will never trade him.. Unless it’s for “eight picks and Wembaya” 🤣 So..it’s a waste of time discussing it.
hes building him up to trade his ars ya think
Nope!
for greek
Cs are gone. Good.
So what’s worse? Getting embarrassingly swept or choking a 3-1 lead?
It depends on whether you are the favored team and lose the 7th game at home or if you are a marginal team that probably didn’t belong in the playoffs to begin with. Some people in Miami f.o. think making the playoffs is proof of success.
“Some people in Miami f.o. think making the playoffs is proof of success.”
You spitting fire with this one. Also anyone see vj who was supposed to be here but like you said Sunman making the playoffs round here is seen as a success because the team is ran by a dinosaur. This is Pat Riley’s team and Mikey is just the money but Pat owns this team.
Also getting embarrassingly whooped on every game is worse
Yes, the play-in gets talked about at times like it’s an accomplishment. It’s Heat hype that one needs to avoid sucking on.
Maybe this next year will be the one where everyone sees thru it. Because, without big change, either a whale catch or some serious alterations on our roster, we will be sitting here again in 2027. No trimming around the edges will be adequate, that is a certainty.
But, some will still buy in because hope springs eternal. Or, put another way, a sucker is born every minute.
And, yes, in retrospect, it was worse getting blown out and losing the pick.
The other side of the argument is get into the playoffs and you never know what could happen.
Philly needed this a lot more than Miami did just from a roster construction perspective.
Yes, the Sixers window is closing.
The Sixers, with a rare healthy Embiid, have a stronger, more balanced starting 5 than the Heat. This is probably their last chance to do anything before the breakup of this group.
embid dirty always
too athletic phily ball game
The C’a fought hard, made a game of it. OTOH, no one will give me credit but I will give it to myself.
maxey to quick.boston slower non athletic team.missing tatum killed them though
Exactly. Doesn’t mean the Celtics win anyway, but it’s a massive loss to lose Tatum.
yeah it sukd seeing him on the bench,hes such a pleasant guy always has his little cute kid with him.injuries part of the game.no sympathy for celts theyve won enough.i dont like joel hes a dirty player,nyk phily gonna be great series.two towns that hate each other
Stop. Most people totally knew that a Sixers team with a healthy Embiid would be formidable. In fact, is there anyone who wouldn’t know that? So the team with an abundance of WHITE guys fight a formidable team to a 3-3 tie, then lose when their best or second best player is out and you see some kind of affirmation? lol! If Embiid had been injured this game, it likely is a different outcome. If you think this proved anything, you’re grasping at some slippery straws. Oh yeah, congratulations.
It was the two superstars and White and Pritchard and Quetta that got them to 3-3. But, yes, they did have too many white guys in the rotation even for two superstars to carry. Vuc, Hauser, Schierman, the ones on the bench.
Did not having Tatum in game seven hurt them- of course it did. But, having two superstars allows you to cover up a lot of weaknesses. I’m not saying you can’t win with four white guys in the rotation, I’m just saying that’s when it starts to hurt a teams results. And that’s even with a low A- player in Pritchard. They were over the paradyne, the tripping point where it starts to impact results.
And,why do I even care, well because the Heat use five in our rotation. You can’t win with five, it’s too far over the tripping point.
And Philly is pretty good, but not great, as Embiid is no superstar anymore- although when Quetta got in foul trouble Vuc made him still look like one. And George is no superstar anymore either, just a very good player. They won’t get past the Knicks..
And yes, don’t downplay that it was an upset, and one I called and noone else thought would happen. Your hindsight is what your comments are based on, not your foresight.
RC is just mad because he knows it’s true. Mia Celtics bulls Utah among others have too many which is why those teams are where they are in the league. Mia a 10th seed bulls and Utah didn’t even come close to making the playing and the Celtics not able to rely on Jayson Tatum but rather pp Sam houser or insert the many yt guys they have and they lost
It’s so obvious when you look around the league, it’s hard to believe it’s controversial. The results scream it out.
just look at the landscape of nfl runners u got mccafferey and thats it.
Yes, and white cornerbacks are on the endangered species list. But, to be clear, my comments only apply for more than three whites in the rotation. Give me Reaves, a solid A player (probably greater positive impact than Bam, for example), and the Superstar GOAT (and LeBron still is, just now a low A+ player where he used to be high A+), add the Superstar Doncic, and maybe a little secondary scoring from Kennard, and you got a team that can fight for a championship if the other players are just decent, which they almost are. It would require you to mostly sit La Rivia though and mostly play Hayes. And OKC, with Hartenstein, Caruso, and Holmgren, can definitely compete for a title and has a great chance to win it again.
Just want to be clear about what I am saying here.
Hayes is a Slovenian, so he is white. That colour comes from Californian sun.
He is apparently biracial,,which is pretty unusual for a Slovenian.
Last season you and I were amongst the most vocal that it would be in the best interest of the team to lose in order to get the lottery pick. If that had happened, and if it was Miami, not Dallas, to get the number one pick, are you saying anyone here would have passed on Flagg? I doubt it.
I have no problem with cooper Luka jokic problems as if have stated before Mia doesn’t have those type players instead it’s a bunch of Tyler herros in different fonts period.
Also I think vj will be the best outta the two and wouldnt be mad if Mia had chosen him 1 overall
True and fair. But while I think VJ is solid with a high ceiling, I don’t think any team at #1 was passing on Flagg, if for no other reason than the hype.
Agree about VJ. But, if we had only two other whites in the rotation I would have been thrilled with Flagg.
So, to be clear, you would have passed on the consensus number 1 prospect because of the existing skin color of players on your team? Don’t misunderstand, I also think VJ has a bright future, and I don’t know who will be better in the long term, but there is not a single GM who would’ve passed on Flagg, regardless of who else was on their team.
It was hindsight because I could not imagine Embiid actually playing pretty healthy for any stretch of time and I believed with that and with Tatum back, Boston would prevail. No matter how you slice and dice it, it was a series that ended up 4-3. It was not the 4-0 embarrassment the Heat suffered last season. I will not change my opinion that it is the quality of the players that matters most.
Good for you. I wish I could have all the socially acceptable opinions also. In an ideal world, things would always be pleasanter and more palatable.
I really don’t make any statements here, or in my life in general to be socially acceptable. I speak my mind. Do I prefer civility over chaos? Absolutely! I base my opinions of people in sports or elsewhere only on what they bring to the table.
Was at a concert. Tatum injured. Shame. One ss in, one out. That’s the difference.
Id hate “trust the process” to advance but Celts not doing their job. Their supposedly gap year team appeared in the playoffs.
no size on embid queta has 4 fouls
vuckevic dnp so far
I said he would be. And once Quetta got a bunch of fouls on him, the C’s weaknesses showed up.
cs weakness no tatum,if he plays think boston wins
That’s probably true.
vucevic size might have been better on joel than having brown trying to guard him .that queta dude played great game last night.
bost not hitting their 3s
Who did you see? Was it a tribute band? I usher at this local theater I live near and have seen over the last three years about 35 local tribute bands covering about half of the most famous classic rock bands. I just saw the one I think is the best around named Long Time Gone, a CSN & Y tribute band. They were incredible. Second was a tribute band I saw there two years ago, a BeeGees tribute band.
I’ve seen a few proposed trade suggestions involving the Heat. The players, 2026-2027 salaries and proposed trade scenarios are as follows:
Ja $42,166,510 (Wiggins and Mitchell)
KD $43,902,439 (Herro, Jovic and first round pick)
Kahwi $50,300,000 (Herro, Ware, Wiggins – or similar salary filler- and 2030 and 2032 first-round draft picks)
AD $58,456,566 (Herro, Wiggins, 2029 first-round pick)
Giannis $58,456,566 (Herro, Ware, Jović, 2026 1st-round pick, 2030 1st-round pick, 2032 1st-round pick – protected – and a 2033 2nd-round pick.)
Interesting scenarios. Ja, Kahwi and AD have availabilty/injury issues. KD will be 38 in September and would probably be a short-term rental. Giannis would make the biggest impact and cost the most future draft picks.
great names all injured alot lately .wed have a 3 year window with kawhi greek for jewelry.jas younger ad no kd no
Yeah, Giannis would likely give us the longest window. Ja on the other hand is the worst fit – he wouldn’t improve the defense and wouldn’t be a significant upgrade in our offense. And we lack in the front court department.
KD, Kawhi, AD are relevant options, although all very risky.
And people think the draft is a crapshoot. It is, This is too.
Yup. Trades are calculated risks. No risks…no rewards. The thing is to make wise decisions regarding drafts, trades and contracts.
This coming season is not the time to go whale hunting. The team needs another year to further develop its young core, draft 2 lottery picks and explore players who may be available in 2027. Quite a few top tier players will be. See attached list.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/_/year/2027
All of these players have availability issues and most of them are old, too. It would be a gamble with every one of them.
Giannis is obviously the most impactful player, but trading for him would require gutting the current roster. I have doubts we would be competitive with Bam, Giannis and what would be left (I think Herro, Ware, Jovic would not be enough).
Maybe I would consider taking a flyer on AD. His should be available for a much lower price and a frontcourt of AD and Bam would kill every team. The only catch – Ad would have to remain healthy.
He was a headache for LAL fans for years.. street clothes on full display…. we know the story in Dallas… He is in Washington now, waiting for sizable contract extension.
Herro is always injured, but AD is just on another level.
Yeah, it would be a huge gamble and I am not saying the Heat should do it. But AD with Bam would instantly become the best frontcourt duo of the league by far. And with Ware alternating it would be a nightmare for every opponent’s offense
oubre not very good dum ass player
boston not winning tonight
Nice bounce back indeed. Hate to see JJJ go if he’ll be part of a big trade.
Off topic but 3 of the top 4 in EC taken to Game 7, of the top 4 only NYK has advanced already. Would have thought the Heat’s run to the Finals as an #8 seed in 2023 was the ultimate proof of why you always try to get into the playoffs because anything can happen, but this year is more evidence. And regardless of W-L results the playoff environment leads to player development, esp. mentally and emotionally, beyond what the regular season can produce.
Better teams still prevails. Heat wouldn’t win more then a game or two in the series against any PO team.
I believe the same thing.
Orlando was just as disheveled as we were heading into the playoffs.
That’s what I think also. The two loses to Toronto at the end of the year gave us a pretty accurate picture of where we stood this year in terms of relative strength.
The butt whippings by Orlando and a couple of other teams pretty much exposed Miami as a mediocre lottery team.
I agree.
You’ve got that right. Can’t go far without a back-up big. 0 depth in front court. Poor planning/ management decisions.
Will never know this year, all it takes is hot 3PT shooting to swing a series and the Heat had the shooting.
Great year for JJJ, almost perfect, taking into account last years problems.
Still, he is somehow a limited player in the way, that a small adjustment (put a big under the rim) takes away his main strength.
If he can add some more to his game, like reliable 3p shooting, he can go even higher. If not, that’s it. He cant be any better with current skills level.
I would wait a bit with extension, if thats possible.
very true vagi good synopsis
thanks.
3PT shooting is the swing skill but he can improve his handle. Thought teams like BOS with good wing defense gave him problems and could shut him down and force TOs.
Goal of the Heat offense was to get into the paint and “play off of two feet”. Jaquez was good at that but could be better with an improved handle, more counter moves and more decisiveness. And he can also lean into his strengths more, driving, postups, midrange/paint shooting. He is too strong for most wings to guard and too quick for most bigs.
Jaquez’s season was 6MOTY level so that is a good player/starter on most teams. Naz Reid is that level, makes $25m/year so around 20 at least I think is what Jaquez will get.
I m not against it, still, a blocking big patrolling around the rim is a cure for him.
JJJ is very skilled. His problem last year was more of complicating his pivoting then anything else.
Getting him under 20/year would be a good value.
He needs a good 3pt shot, that’s a priority for him in this league. If he can improve it, he will be a very valued nba player.
Me too. He’s a B+ player right now, pretty dang good. If he can find anymore upside he will earn his big contract.
Jaquez will need/has earned an extension, saw it projected at around 4/$90. Purely for that reason including Jaquez in a Giannis trade makes sense. Jaquez standout skill of driving and generating paint touches is also less important on a team with Giannis, would still be great to have but need shooting more. Would hope the Heat keep Jaquez if no Giannis trade.
Miami should know by the trade deadline what they plan to do with Jaquez. Despite being in the running for 2026 6moy, he’ll still need to earn an extension the old fashioned way. After the Jovic extension decision, the Arisons & Riley can’t afford to make another bad/impulsive call. When all is said and done, I wonder what they will think he’s worth (above and beyond the 4 years/$62.4M they gave Jovic)?
I’m sure if the Heat won’t pay Jaime what he’s worth, there will be interest in him from other teams (especially those with large Latino populations in the southwest and on the west coast). He grew up in the L.A. area so the Lakers and Clippers would be logical choices. The Suns and Warriors would be 2 other good options.
P.S. If Jaquez returns next season with a decent 3 point shot, his contract value will undoubtedly increase. The upcoming process should be very interesting.
had a shockingly good year coming off last years disaster.he plays a tough grinding physical game which is hard to sustain like that going forward.would he get pt on okc spurs minn we have to say to ourself.maybe.i see jjj as a bench type player going forward.if he could match this past year for the next 5 years id think all heat fans would take that.
Time will tell. I do think Jaquez could make the rotation on most NBA teams. Same with Larsson who is also coming up on an extension. I would take both if I had a team.
There aren’t enough physical/ fearless players in the NBA. Too many softy finesse players and wannabe tough guys whose barks are worse than their bites.
The good thing about players like Bam, Mitchell, Jaquez, Larsson, Smith, Johnson and Jakucionis is they are physically aggressive without being dirty players, e.g. Draymond, Brooks, Stewart, Embiid, Smart, etc. Gardner looks like a player who has a mean streak which he has to learn to control, otherwise, it may cost him playing time and eventually a contract.
smart embid dramond brooks bam all somewhat dirty gards in that group and i like that in a player.u come down the middle u pay the price.
I wouldn’t put Bam in that group. The Houston Thompson brother is another one of those dirty players.
ask knick fans they have a video of some of bams cheap shots sm
Who cares what NY fans think. I’m not from there. I hope sixers kick their butts. Do they have any videos of Lomelo’s cheap shots? He’s one of those wannabe macho impersonators who couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag.