Tyler Herro earned his first career NBA All-Star selection during the 2024-25 season. Jaime Jacquez, for his part, led the NBA in total bench points and was second in voting for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. Both were included in the blockbuster Heat package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Neither ended up being the most important piece of it. Neither was it Kel'el Ware or the No. 13 selection in this year's NBA Draft.
Kasparas Jakucionis will end up better for the Bucks than fans realize
This writer contends that none other than Jakucionis is the most crucial piece in this trade. There's a reason Jon Horst and company refused to budge on the trade until Jakucionis was included. And his age is far from the reason why. It has more to do with his upside.
During his lone season for Illinois, Jakucionis put up 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game on the heels of a decent 44 percent from the field. To be clear, he isn’t the explosive, rim-rocking athlete that modern NBA scouts love. He won't give you highlight-reel posters. But what he does provide is a rare, preternatural feel for the floor that the Bucks haven't had in their backcourt in years.
That feel translates into his passing and floor generalship. It's almost reminiscent of his fellow Europeans in Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, the way he manipulates defenses with his passing and makes plays out of the pick and roll. Because of those traits, he's the kind of leader who makes his teammates better just by being on the floor.
The physical tools are somewhat there, too, even if he isn't the most athletic guy in the gym. Standing 6-foot-6, Jakucionis fits the modern, positionless guard archetype that Milwaukee desperately needs to build around. He’s physical, isn't afraid to crash the glass, and has the frame to eventually develop into a multi-positional defender.
The Bucks need to develop Jakucionis intentionally going forward
For a rebuilding team, that is exactly the gamble you make. You don't build a new championship culture around players who have already hit their ceiling. You build it around players who see the game at a level their peers don't. And for the 20-year-old, it's clear his instinct is something he built up through years of playing against professionals in Europe, which is something none of his counterparts have.
The common comparisons handed out for him includes the likes of Tyrese Haliburton, Austin Reaves, and Goran Dragic. Not bad for a 20-year-old. The only thing now is for the Bucks to actually give him the developmental minutes he needs going forward.
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