Previewing Kasparas Jakucionis' Rookie Season With Miami Heat: Will He Start?

The Miami Heat drafted Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, and although few expected Jakucionis to slide so far, it may have been one of the best outcomes for the 6-foot-6 lead guard.

Miami is one of the league's top-tier developmental organizations, so Jakucionis will have countless tools at his disposal to improve his game. Still, there are some unknowns swirling around his playing time and productivity in Year 1.Here’s the expectation for his NBA rookie season:

Jakucionis’ most translatable skill – passing – is a high priority for a Heat squad that was led by Tyler Herro’s 5.5 assists last year. Herro played point guard for Miami for the majority of the 2024-25 campaign, simply because there weren’t many other options on the roster.

Terry Rozier – who is more comfortable at the two – and the defensive-minded Davion Mitchell are potential candidates at the 1, although neither possesses the playmaking skills Jakucionis does. And Herro, fresh off his first-ever All-Star appearance, is at his best scoring the rock – not facilitating.

Enter Jakucionis.Expecting the Lithuanian native to start from Day 1 would be a bit far-fetched, but Jakucionis does have a clear path to the starting job. A place in the lineup could be a realistic goal by the end of his rookie campaign.