Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis looking to make most of G League stint: ‘He just needs to play’
.JPG "Kasparas Jakucionis (25) sits in an interview during the Miami Heat Media Day on Sept. 29, 2025, at Kaseya Center in Miami.")
After spending much of the last month dealing with injuries, Miami Heat rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis just wants to play basketball.
Jakucionis missed part of training camp and a chunk of the preseason because of a sprained left wrist before playing in one full exhibition and then being sidelined for the first seven regular-season games with a strained right groin. When Jakucionis was finally cleared to return, he found himself out of an already established Heat rotation and is still waiting to make his NBA regular-season debut.
So the Heat sent Jakucionis to the G League this past weekend for some game action with its developmental affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
“I just need live basketball, to be honest,” Jakucionis, 19, said of what he’s hoping to take from his first ever G League stint. “And just running and doing everything that you need to do on the basketball court. So I would say just playing.”
Jakucionis has already played in two G League games in recent days, averaging 13 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals per game while shooting 30.8% from the field and 3 of 9 (33.3%) from three-point range in his first two appearances with the Skyforce.
In Jakucionis’ second game with the Skyforce, he totaled 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 shooting on threes, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in Tuesday’s 139-137 loss to the Cleveland Charge.
Turnovers continue to be a problem for Jakucionis, who averaged 3.7 turnovers per game for an exceptionally high turnover rate of 25.4% while playing in a high-usage role during his lone college season at Illinois last season. He has already recorded four assists to 10 turnovers during his first two G League appearances.
But Heat coaches don’t care about Jakucionis’ numbers right now. They just want him to play and get in-game experience.
“The most important thing right now is he just needs to play,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said this week of the team’s decision to send Jakucionis to the G League. “It’s not even necessarily about evaluating him right now. He had some good weeks during the summer. And then it was just unfortunate that he had the injury. He even asked me, ‘What do I need to work on?’ And I was like, ‘Don’t stress out about that right now.’ It’s about getting out there and playing, and then we’ll take that next step when it comes.”
Jakucionis confirmed that was the message he received before heading to the G League, noting that Heat coaches told him to “compete, get live reps, and everything will be good.”
The Heat landed Jakucionis by selecting him with the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft. It was originally the Golden State Warriors’ selection, but the Heat acquired the 20th overall pick from the Warriors as part of the Jimmy Butler trade in February.
With the Heat and Warriors facing off on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center, it’s a reminder that Jakucionis’ development could go a long way in determining the value of the return Miami received for Butler. The Heat also acquired Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson from Golden State, and Davion Mitchell from the Toronto Raptors in the Butler deal.
For now, though, Jakucionis is in the early days of his NBA career. He has yet to play in an NBA regular-season game and is now just focused on making the most of his time in the G League.
Other young players on the Heat’s current roster such as Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, Keshad Johnson and Kel’el Ware have also spent some time with the Skyforce in the past as part of their development.
“I think it’s good to just be able to come here, play, and the development part is very good,” Jakucionis said of being sent to the G League. “So I think that’s a good thing.”
Jakucionis is expected to remain with the Skyforce at least through the end of the week, giving him at least two more G League games during this stint. The Skyforce takes on the Wisconsin Herd in Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday.
After missing time because of back-to-back injuries early this season, Jakucionis is just happy to be playing again whether it’s in the NBA or G League.
“I missed it a lot,” Jakucionis said of getting back on the court. “That’s all I’ve done basically in my life. So, yeah, I’ve missed playing. But now I feel good, I feel healthy, and I feel way happier.”
