Heat select Jaime Jaquez Jr. with No. 18 pick in 2023 NBA Draft

Jaquez Jr., a consensus All-American, averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds last season.

Jun 23, 2023

The Miami Heat have selected UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. with the No. 18 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Jaquez, 22, averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds on 48.1 percent shooting, including 31.7 percent from deep and 77.0 percent from the free-throw line last season. He was a three-time All-Pac-12 member, including a two-time All-Pac-12 defensive team member and a consensus All-American as a senior.

Jaquez doesn’t possess lightning-quick speed, but is cerebral, very good with his back to the basket and in isolation, is very physical and possesses great footwork in the low-to-mid post. He is 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and was a very good team defender at UCLA under Mick Cronin, a defensive-minded head coach.

He will need to improve his shooting at the next level; he knocked down 32.8 percent of his 3-pointers across his collegiate career, though his career 73.7 free-throw percentage suggests those numbers can rise.

Here is what ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote about Jaquez in March:

“The Pac-12 player of the year and All-American is one of the faces of college basketball and the key behind UCLA's season. His productivity, feel for the game, defensive cleverness, toughness and versatility are some of his biggest selling points as a prospect, even if his lack of shooting consistency (33% career from 3), average explosiveness and bully ball style make him somewhat of a polarizing prospect among NBA scouts.

At 6-foot-6, he plays mostly at power forward but sees a considerable share of UCLA's offense run through him in the mid or low post; it's a different role than what he'll play in the NBA. The contributions Jacquez makes to winning is what put him on the map as an NBA prospect. The further UCLA goes into the tournament, the more chances he has of endearing himself to teams and showing what makes him tick.”