Although he was yet to play in an official NBA game, Jaime Jaquez Jr. found himself being tossed into trade rumors for Damian Lillard. Many NBA fans must have already heard about the situation that has been going on for the past several weeks. Lillard finally requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. To make matters more interesting, he made it clear that he wished to be traded to the Miami Heat.
As a result, the Heat began to throw around several packages in order to capture the Blazers’ interests. Since Jaime exceeded expectations during the NBA Summer League, he was instantly thrown into the mix of trade offers since he was considered an asset.
Even if the Heat are able to make a trade for Lillard, recent reports indicate that it is highly unlikely for Jaime to be included in the package. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out why.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. was spotted with Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning
Many NBA fans will remember Alonzo Mourning to be an iconic part of the Miami Heat roster over their initial years of success. Although he was drafted by the Hornets in the 1992 NBA Draft, Mourning joined the Miami Heat to start the 1995-1996 NBA season. He ended up spending the remainder of his career with the same team until retirement in 2008.
If there is one way to ensure getting introduced to Heat culture and away from trade discussions, it would be to be seen publicly with a Miami Heat legend. Jaime appeared to be golfing with Mourning and a few others when their photo was taken.
Jaquez golfing with Zo. Off the table? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/BvuMxuhj64
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) August 20, 2023
Having seen the picture has now assured NBA fans that Jaime is off the table and will not be included in trade talks. That is the way it should be considering that he is only 22 years old. It is quite unfair to put a young man through the pressure of media and being involved in trade talks before he has even played for his new team.
In any case, we wish Jaime Jaquez Jr. the best of luck in his NBA career. Mourning likely gave him some good advice on how to establish himself as a solid player in the league.