Jaime Jaquez, the rookie of the Miami Heat, recently opened up about his journey to the NBA and the trade rumors that surrounded him during the offseason.
As the NBA offseason was in full swing, trade talks involving Damian Lillard potentially joining the Heat also mentioned the 22-year-old guard/forward, Jaquez, as a possible asset in the deal.
While the trade eventually saw Lillard going to the Milwaukee Bucks, the uncertainty weighed on Jaquez.
“At first, it was in the back of my head—what’s going to happen? Am I going to leave? You never know,” he told Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herrald.
However, as time passed, he found comfort in his situation and embraced the belief that everything unfolds as part of a bigger plan.
“I just believe it’s all a part of a bigger plan,” he explained. “Things happen for a reason. If I stay, great. If I get traded, it was fun while it lasted.”
Jaquez, considered a borderline first-round pick after his college career, attended the 2023 NBA draft and was selected by the Heat as the eighteenth overall pick.
