Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Heat reveals the ‘reality’ of existence in trade rumors

As it is The Miami Heat have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo before Thursday’s trade deadline, no movement was made as the team was the only team in the Eastern Conference not to make a trade. While it is rumors will continue about what the Heat’s trade package looked like for Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, one part that could have been involved is Jaime Jaquez Jr., in the midst of an impressive third season.

In a report that covered what Milwaukee was asking teams for in a potential Antetokounmpo deal, it was a draft with young players, as Miami has a good amount of them. With Kel’el Ware an obvious choice to be in the package, Jaquez has become a vital player for the Heat at 24 years old.

After a sophomore slump, he entered his third season motivated as head coach Erik Spoelstra locked in Jaquez as the No. 1 starter off the bench, putting it into discussion for the sixth man of the year. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field as he was aware of the trade rumors surrounding him and got “real” with it.

“It’s hard in this day and age to be oblivious to that, but I’m just dealing with reality,” Jaquez said after Thursday’s practice. “And the reality of the situation is, what’s in front of me? And from now on, I’m here, and that’s where my focus is, and whatever happens, happens. I’ll say the famous words, ‘it’s a job.’ So these are the employers and they decide what they want to do with you. And I’m just grateful and blessed to be here, and as long as I’m here, I’m going to continue to do my best.”

Jaime Jaquez Jr. from the Heat on how he won Sixth Man of the Year

In addition The Heat had Norman Powell’s first All-Star appearanceJaquez has been a vital player for the team, bringing Miami an offensive punch that fits well with their fast-paced offense that emphasizes driving to the paint. There is a positive side to the trade rumors, and that is that he has tremendous value.

“Yes, of course,” said Jacques. “I mean, teams are going to want you. Other teams aren’t going to want you. But, like I said, I’m just dealing with reality. And, as of right now, I’m here until that changes, and then we’ll figure it out.”

The shift in perspective led to Jaquez working with a mental coach in the offseason, which paid dividends, even leading to him being a top contender for the Sixth Man of the Year award, as discussed earlier.

“It’s great,” Jaquez said of the buzz he’s getting with the award. “But just keep playing the game the right way. You know, when you’re winning, things end up going well for everybody. So I’m just a product of that, you know, we’re playing pretty solid. We could be playing a lot better, but, you know, when you’re playing well, that’s what goes with it.”

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, there’s no denying that Miami will play on Antetokounmpo in the offseason with the chance that Jaquez will be in those discussions. However, he is focused on helping the team improve as the Heat are 27-25, which puts them in seventh place in the Eastern Conference before Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics.