Heat's Kasparas Jakucionis earns recognition despite All-Rookie omission

Despite a limited role as a rookie, Miami Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis still earned some recognition around the NBA.

The league announced its All-Rookie teams on Wednesday. Jakucionis, who turns 20-years-old on May 29, didn’t make the first or second team. But the former No. 20 overall pick earned one second-team vote.

Jakucionis joined Dallas’ Ryan Nembhard as the only two players to receive only one second-team vote. Among the others who had les than five include Charlotte’s Sion James, San Antonio’s Carter Bryant and Washington’s Will Riley.

A global media panel of 100 voters selected the 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Rookie Team.

The complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/P3RH5nGfYM
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 20, 2026

Kasparas Jakucionis is only scratching the surface:

After a roller coaster Summer League, Jakucionis didn’t crack the Heat’s initial rotation and was eventually sent down to Sioux Falls in mid-November to garner some much-needed reps. He was still incredibly raw as a ballhandler, and going to the G-League allowed him to play with the rock in his hands as a primary initiator.

Jakucionis was called in mid-December, and didn’t get sent down. He made history in his first career start against the Boston Celtics on Dec. 21 and was a regular rotation player the rest of the season. He appeared in 53 games, including 12 spot-starts, averaging 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

He shot 42.3 percent from beyond the arc, including north of 48 percent on spot-up attempts, with a 61.4 true-shooting percentage. Jakucionis still didn’t amass a ton of on-ball reps, but he showcased himself as one of the team’s top passers and pick-and-roll decision-makers when he did.

Furthermore, he was one of their top point-of-attack defenders. He unveiled quicker foot speed with more enhanced screen navigation than he did at Illinois.

Jakucionis only totaled 945 minutes. But given his size, work ethic, competitiveness and already extensive growth, he’s only scratching the surface of his potential as a lead guard. There are still plenty of growth to be had, but Jakucionis showcased more than enough to be an impactful rotation player, despite what the numbers may suggest.