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The Miami Heat have again struck gold outside the lottery of the 2025 NBA Draft after drafting Kasparas Jakucionis as the 20th overall pick.
Jakucionis, who from now on I will call Casper as in the animation series “Casper the Friendly Ghost,” was supposed to be a lottery pick but because of injury concerns following his first year at the University of Illinois, the 6’6″ point guard from Lithuania dropped precipitously in the draft.
As a Fighting Illini, he averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game and was one of only two rookies in college basketball last season to norm 15/5/4 — the other being No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flag out of Duke and now with the Dallas Mavericks.
Known for his strong pick-and-roll abilities, scoring, and a knack for creating scoring opportunities for his teammates — though he needs to work on limiting turnovers — Casper is expected to bring playmaking and offensive firepower to the Miami Heat, now led by Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, who the Heat picked in the middle of the first round.
Expect our kababayan, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, to use him as a reliable ball-handler and playmaker, especially given first-time NBA All-Star Herro’s preference for scoring. So, with Casper onboard, Miami’s backcourt is set for the next five years.
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While he may not immediately start, Jakucionis is expected to play meaningful minutes and could potentially serve as an invaluable sixth man for the team from South Beach.
Aside from his elite playmaking abilities and scoring acumen — he can drive to the basket and shoot from long range with equal effectiveness — Casper also has veteran savvy that belies his age of just 19 years old.
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Jakucionis has experience playing both internationally — he played for FC Barcelona’s second team and represented his native Lithuania at various youth levels, including the FIBA U16, U18, and U18 EuroBasket tournaments — and in the U.S. college system with the Fighting Illni, which has prepared him for the transition to the NBA.
Casper may also not be as friendly as you think on the basketball court, as he’s known as your consummate competitor that will serve him in good stead in the Association.
Far from a finished product, Jakucionis needs to improve certain aspects of his game, the biggest of which is his propensity to turn the ball over, which were somewhat elevated due to his role as a primary option in college.
He’s also not as athletic as top-tier NBA point guards and he’s expected to struggle in one-on-one situations against more athletic defenders.
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And speaking of ghosts, the Miami Heat may be haunted by the Ghost of Christmas Past as rumors abound that the Los Angeles Lakers may potentially trade LeBron James.
This after, the NBA’s career leader in points reportedly decided to exercise his player option for the final year of his contract with the Lakers.
James, who averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game in Year 22 of his NBA career, however may be looking for a new home, especially if the Lakers, under new management, opt to rebuild with Luka Doncic as their centerpiece.
Enter the Heat, where the Akron, Ohio native won his first two Larry O’Brien trophies in 2012 and 2013 as a possible reunion will be a full circle moment for The King.
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I may not be entirely opposed to a James reunion with the Heat, but only if he’s bought out by the Lakers, which is next to impossible, or Miami trades for him using supplemental pieces (aka Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez, and salary fillers), but that may sound even more farfetched than the former.
Casper and The Ghost (plus Bam and Baby Goat)…that’s a recipe for a 2026 championship if you ask me.
