UCLA Basketball: Where Jaime Jaquez Finished in Rookie of the Year Voting

The Miami Heat swingman enjoyed a stellar NBA debut season.

Apr 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Jump ball between Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday and Miami Heat small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Former All-American Second Team UCLA Bruins small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. has already made a big impression on the NBA in just his first season with the Miami Heat.

According to the NBA's PR team, the 6-foot-6 swingman finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, behind only San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (the unanimous winner, who also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting despite playing for a lottery team), Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (who finished in second, and whose team is currently the No. 1 seed and leading its second round West playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks 1-0), and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller.

Victor Wembanyama received all 99 first-place votes from a media panel, making him the first unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year since Karl-Anthony Towns in the 2015-16 season. pic.twitter.com/cWcjdXRrUD

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 6, 2024

Jaquez received 10 third-place votes. In 75 contests with the Heat (20 starts), the 2023 Lute Olson Award winner and Pac-12 Player of the Year logged averages of 11.9 points on .489/.322/.811 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and one steal. He far outplayed his draft status thus far, as the No. 18 pick in 2023.

He also finished ninth in Sixth Man of the Year voting this year, for good measure, while contributing key two-way play for a chippy 46-36 Miami club that, were it not for some critical injuries and a very unfortunate first round playoff opponent, could have gone far in a shallow Eastern Conference this postseason.

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