Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Set to Earn Illustrious Honor at Alma Mater

Jake Elman | Jan 2, 2025

Dec 28, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) dribbles defended by Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez plans on spending an upcoming off day at his old stomping grounds.

The Los Angeles Times reported Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, Calif., will retire Jaquez's No. 24 jersey on Jan. 14. Fittingly, the Heat are in Los Angeles that week; Miami plays the Clippers on the 13th and the Lakers on the 15th.  

Jaquez averaged 31.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals as a senior, leading the Scorpions to their first Coastal Canyon League Title. He graduated in 2019 and subsequently enrolled at UCLA, eventually growing into the Pac-12 Player of the Year.

The No. 18 pick in 2023, Jaquez averages 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. After starting 20 games and earning All-Rookie honors last season, Jaquez has seen his minutes drop from 28.2 to 21.6. 

Jaquez started the new year in style, recording 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in Miami's 119-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. 

ARROYO SAYS HEAT NEED BUTLER

We have a month and change to see if the Miami Heat will stick to their guts and keep Jimmy Butler, or if the team will trade the All-Star forward.

Former Heat guard Carlos Arroyo knows where he stands.

Speaking on the Jan. 1 episode of The OGs podcast, Arroyo—who spent parts of two seasons in Miami—said he wants to see the Heat “make that step” and compete for an Eastern Conference title. Miami entered play Thursday at 17-14 and holding the East’s sixth seed. 

"We need Jimmy," Arroyo told hosts Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. "We need Jimmy at his best, bro. When Jimmy is at his best, everyone follows.

"It can't be Tyler Herro today and Jimmy another [day]," Arroyo added. "it's gotta be all of them."

HERRO KEEPS PROVING O’CONNOR WRONG

Miami Heat fans celebrated Wednesday’s victory over the Pelicans by finding a July 2023 post on X (formerly Twitter) from NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor. At the time, the Heat were reportedly trying to trade guard Tyler Herro for then-Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.

O’Connor posted a theoretical trade where the Heat would trade Herro, Kyle Lowry, Jaquez, Nikola Jović, and draft picks to the Blazers for Lillard and big man Jusuf Nurkić.

“Considering the significant price of recent superstars dealt, this return for Portland would go down as one of the worst trades in NBA history,” O’Connor wrote.

Suffice to say, Heat fans had fun mocking O’Connor after Herro’s latest All-Star caliber performance. Herro totaled 32 points—his fifth 30-point game thus far—and four assists in 40 minutes Wednesday against the Pelicans.

Reddit user heatculture03 called O’Connor’s post “one of the worst takes in NBA history.” Another poster compared O’Connor to a typical Reddit user who doesn’t take accountability when they’re wrong.

“Perhaps he’s even worse than a Redditor because he pretends to know s---,” realudonishaslem (we doubt that’s the real Haslem) wrote.

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.