Jaime Jaquez Jr. Explains Why He Was Nervous To Hear Jimmy Butler Trade News Mid-game

The Heat person entered their first afloat play pursuing nan Jimmy Butler era. Miami opted for younker successful an property of nan NBA that prioritizes a young core's maturation pinch nan dream of semipermanent occurrence to follow. Although their roster has changed drastically, that signature "Heat culture" remains wrong nan organization's walls.

Third-year guardant Jaime Jaquez Jr. is simply a cardinal portion of nan Heat's retooled youthful roster. After 4 seasons starring astatine UCLA, Miami made him nan 18th prime of nan 2023 NBA draft. His early pinch nan Heat wasn't ever a given, though, particularly arsenic nan franchise worked done their saga pinch Butler past season, which led to his trade to nan Warriors astatine nan deadline.

Jaquez said pinch Sports Illustrated arsenic portion of his business pinch Hill's Pet Nutrition wherever he shared a glimpse of his life arsenic a pet genitor to his 90-pound Bernese Mountain Dog puppy Percy while dealing pinch nan rigorous schedule of a master athlete. When nan waste and acquisition went down, he was connected nan chair arsenic nan Heat were successful nan mediate of a crippled against nan 76ers and received nan news from a fan. It's shocking to study of a franchise-altering woody and moreover your ain early erstwhile location are different important matters astatine hand, but for Jaquez, he luckily sewage a emotion of relief.

"I was benignant of tense that I was going to beryllium nan 1 traded," he said to SI. "But I was happy to find retired that I wasn't. You know, it's weird. The NBA is simply a crazy league, crazy things hap each azygous time and we're conscionable blessed to beryllium a portion of this crazy organization."

Once nan news deed nan Heat bench, Jaquez confirmed nan specifications of nan waste and acquisition pinch a squad information guard. Miami received Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell and a first-round prime successful nan '25 draught which they utilized to prime Illinois defender Kasparas Jakučionis. The Heat sent retired Josh Richardson arsenic well, but didn't request to portion pinch immoderate of their young pieces to get nan woody done.

Although a Butler waste and acquisition was expected, Jaquez said it was a surreal to find retired astir nan monolithic woody during a game.

"You benignant of person nary words, nary words related to picture it. ... We had each benignant of sensed thing was going to hap beautiful soon and it conscionable happened during a game," he said. "I don't cognize really it came retired truthful fast. It's crazy to find retired really your teammates sewage traded successful nan mediate of a crippled that you're playing. News breaks accelerated nowadays."

The Heat are connected their way forward, building astir their halfway of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, pinch intriguing young players for illustration Kel'el Ware, Jakučionis and Jaquez. Miami added Norman Powell complete nan offseason arsenic a cardinal veteran. He scored 28 points successful their play opener against nan Magic Wednesday. Jaquez had a coagulated debut to twelvemonth three, scoring 13 points connected 6-for-7 from nan section and adding six rebounds and 2 steals. He played little minutes past year, averaging 20.7 minutes per crippled compared to 28.2 a nighttime successful his rookie play wherever he was named to nan NBA's All-Rookie First Team.

In this caller era of Heat culture, nan Bruin awesome is thrilled he's remained successful Miami for nan ride.

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