Miami Heat select Jaime Jaquez Jr. in 2023 NBA Draft

UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. has spent his life living in Southern California, first in Camarillo and then in Westwood. Now, Jaquez has a new home in Florida as the Miami Heat have selected the 6-foot-6 wing with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The forward improved his game each college season, punctuated by an outstanding senior season. Jaquez averaged 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals for the Bruins on his way to the Pac-12 Player of the Year award and a spot on the All-America second team. He was the first Pac-12 Player of the Year from UCLA since Kevin Love in 2008.

Jaquez finished his UCLA career with 1,802 points, which is the eighth-best mark in program history. He started 134 of 126 games in his career, which included the first Pac-12 regular season title in a decade and a memorable run to the 2021 Men’s Final Four as a No. 11 seed.

He went to high school at Camarillo (Calif.) Adolfo Camarillo, where he was a four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. Jaquez was the No. 86 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

His sister, Gabriela Jaquez, just finished her freshman year at UCLA. She was the co-MVP of the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game.

Heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, only one UCLA player coached by Mick Cronin had been drafted by an NBA team. That player was Peyton Watson, who was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder last year with the No. 30 overall pick by the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder traded him to the Denver Nuggets in a draft-day trade.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. comes to the NBA after four years as a starter in a Power Five conference. While his upside isn’t projected to be as high as the top talent in the draft, Jaquez is a player who has some elite intangibles.

“Jaquez has good size and strength for a forward. He has good footwork in the post and can create his own shot or generate looks for his teammates,” the RotoWire scouting report reads on him. “Jaquez is a crafty finisher but has also shown the ability to step outside for jump shots from the midrange and three. He is a smart defender who is adept at reading passing lanes.”