Miami Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis (25) drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) during the second half of an NBA preseason game at Kaseya Center on October 8, 2025, in Miami. D.A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com
Just a few hours before Miami Heat rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis made his NBA preseason debut Wednesday night, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was asked if this will be more of a developmental year for Jakucionis than one he makes an actual on-court impact in.
“Let’s see,” Spoelstra said. “Let’s see where he is as he continues to spend more time with us.”
Jakucionis, 19, is off to a strong start.
After missing the Heat’s first two exhibition games because of a sprained left wrist, Jakucionis made the most of his first preseason opportunity with eight points and 10 assists to only three turnovers in 25 minutes in Wednesday’s 112-107 preseason loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Kaseya Center.
It was the playmaking that immediately stood out, as Jakucionis dished out four assists in his first four minutes.
“He has a vision,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat idle until playing its fourth of six preseason games on Sunday against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center (6 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun). “I think that led to some of the turnovers probably in college. He’s willing, he’s courageous enough to try to make the play. So he has the vision, and he’s willing to try to make it.”
Jakucionis (6-foot-5 and 205 pounds) began the night with a dump-off pass to forward Keshad Johnson for a dunk in transition, then he found forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. cutting to the basket for a highlight-reel dunk, went on to make a simple pass to center Kel’el Ware for a three-pointer and delivered a bounce pass to Jaquez for another dunk in transition before connecting with Ware for his final six assists of the game.
“Sometimes he just makes that easy play, just gets off it, and that’s what receivers like to get,” Spoelstra continued on Jakucionis. “It’s just kind of an early ball where they can go make a play. He did that several times, he’ll pitch it ahead. So I think he did a lot of things to get the 10 assists. But you can see a natural connection between him and Kel’el.”
Kasparas Jakucionis (25) sits in an interview during the Miami Heat Media Day on Sept. 29, 2025, at Kaseya Center in Miami. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Jakucionis downplayed his strong preseason performance to reporters following his standout showing.
“I don’t know. I’m just trying to play fast even though I think we could even play faster today,” said Jakucionis, who was taken by the Heat with the 20th pick in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft. “But everything just comes from practice. Try to do my job.”
But there’s no denying that Wednesday’s exhibition was a special night for Jakucionis. It was his first NBA action and it came in front of a former Heat guard who has turned into one of his basketball mentors.
Goran Dragic, who finished his Heat career as one of the best point guards in franchise history, was in the Kaseya Center crowd for Jakucionis’ preseason debut on Wednesday. This came after Dragic spent time working with Jakucionis during a training camp practice in Boca Raton last week.
“It means a lot to have a mentor like him and to take all the information he has,” Jakucionis said of Dragic. “He tells me all the advice, and I’m just trying to listen to him as much as I can, ask him questions. Whenever I have a question, I’ll ask him and just try to take it all in.”
What advice has Dragic given him?
“Just play fast, play smart and use my strengths against others,” Jakucionis said.
Jakucionis and Dragic are both European guards, with Jakucionis from Lithuania and Dragic from Slovenia. But Jakucionis hopes their similarities run deeper than that.
“I really like his playing style and just how he plays,” Jakucionis said. “The fast pace he has, the creativity with the ball and just playing for the team. So I really like how he plays, that’s why I love to ask him questions and try to learn from him as much as I can.”
That’s because Jakucionis knows he still has plenty to learn.
Even Wednesday’s exhibition wasn’t perfect for Jakucionis, who shot 2 of 7 (28.6%) from the field and 1 of 5 (%) from three-point range in his preseason debut.
Jakucionis also went through some growing pains during his up-and-down summer league experience that included 6-of-28 (21.4%) shooting from behind the arc and 15 assists to 22 turnovers during six appearances with the Heat’s summer team.
Turnovers and three-point shooting were two issues Jakucionis also dealt with during his lone college season. While still impressing as a freshman at Illinois with his passing and playmaking ability, he averaged 3.7 turnovers per game for an exceptionally high turnover rate of 25.4% and shot just 31.8% on 5.2 three-point attempts per game last season.
“There are ups and downs. It’s basketball, it’s normal,” Jakucionis said. “I’m just trying to be consistent, stay the same. Discipline, and stay the same mind. Don’t go too high when I’m doing good and don’t go too low when I’m doing not that good. So I’m just trying to stay consistent, stay the same way, and just improving every day to try to get 1 percent better.”
But one thing that has been a constant for Jakucionis so far is his energy, as he’s often on the floor diving for loose balls and trying to create turnovers on the defensive end. He recorded two steals and one block in his first preseason game on Wednesday.
“You see his tenaciousness and just his approach to everything, he’s full speed,” Spoelstra said of Jakucionis. “He has a kamikaze element to him. Him and Pelle [Larsson] are going to spend a lot of time on the ground. But he’s like jet fuel. You just immediately feel his energy and his speed.”
Whatever this rookie season brings for Jakucionis, he just wants to be a better player by the end of it. Whether it’s through playing time in the G League, watching most Heat games from the bench or immediate NBA playing time, Jakucionis wants to listen and learn this season.
“Personally, I just want to grow a lot,” Jakucionis said of what he hopes to take from his rookie season. “I want to improve in every area. I want to listen to the coaches and try to learn everything from them. Just take step by step and day by day improvements, I think little by little is the way to go and that’s what I’m focusing on an everyday basis.”
ROSTER MOVE
The Heat did some preseason roster maneuvering on Thursday night, waiving guard Trevor Keels from his preseason contract to sign guard Gabe Madsen to a preseason deal.
Madsen, who went undrafted this year out of Utah, initially signed with the Heat on Sept. 11 before being waived on Sept. 25 to make room for the addition of center Precious Achiuwa. Now, Madsen is back on the Heat’s preseason roster.
Keels and Madsen are both likely to end up with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, this season.
The Heat’s roster remains at the preseason maximum of 21 players. The Heat also still has one empty two-way contract slot.