The news in the NBA never stops, and it could lend a helpful hand to former Illinois basketball guard, Kasparas Jakucionis.
It has been a mixed bag for Jakucionis thus far in the NBA Summer League. One night, the Illini star looks terrible, the next night he is the future starter for the Miami Heat. It is a roller coaster right now, as he figures out the speed and complexities of the NBA game.
Having a good support system is key to a young player’s development, too. The Heat really don’t have much in the way of experienced point guard play to help Jakucionis along. He doesn’t have a ton of guidance when it comes to the position.
Help could be on the way.
The NBA offseason has been filled with two main headlines. One is the drafting of Cooper Flagg. He is already shut down in the NBA Summer League, as he is a man playing against boys. The second storyline has been the future of LeBron James.
LeBron just finished up season No. 22 of his career. That isn’t a typo. At the age of 40, and knocking on 41’s door, LeBron still managed to play in 70 games while averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. He also finished 6th in MVP voting.
Despite those big numbers, another big number is the $52.6 million player option he picked up to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season. Who wouldn’t, right? That is like hitting the lottery.
The Lakers and LeBron, from what the media is portraying, is at odds, though. Los Angeles wants to move to the future, as they have acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks and wants to build around him. LeBron, with some still left in the tank, might see his way out as a mutual parting of ways via trade.
With that big of a contract to move, there are limited teams that can make that happen. According to Full Court Pass on social media, only the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat have the ability to send that much back in expiring contracts. No way the Lakers and Clippers facilitate a trade, so that leaves the Heat. Dan Woike and Zach Lowe discuss this on the latest Zach Lowe Show! podcast.
LeBron James would be a great brain to pick for Kasparas Jakucionis about the point guard role in the NBA
There are still plenty of details to hammer out regarding a trade. In fact, at the end of the day, I think there is a bunch of fake smoke that will eventually lead to nothing. LeBron isn’t saying anything, per usual, and the Lakers would be crazy to get rid of that production to go alongside Luka and DeAndre Ayton.
But if the NBA Gods do strike down and send LeBron to Miami, what better brain to pick than a player who has played every position on the court at a high level, including point guard?
LeBron’s court vision and feel for the game are second to none. He can help Jakucionis anticipate the next moves and how to put himself in the right positions to make the best play. Jakucionis is someone who seems like a learner, too. He would be a sponge to one of the greatest, and some say the greatest, players of all time.