Jaime Jáquez Jr’s contract details with the Heat: Salary, years left...

The No. 18 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has turned heads since arriving in the NBA. With an ever-growing fan base, this is one Mexican-American who has both sides of the divide united in their appreciation for his Game. Now playing for the Miami Heat and with a contract that’s in keeping with his level, it appears there is a bright future ahead for the 23-year-old and his team.

Introducing Jaime Jáquez Jr.

Born in Irvine, California on February 18th, 2001, Jaime Jáquez Jr. was the oldest of three children. As you can probably guess, it didn’t take long before he began to display above-average skills on the basketball court, such that by the time he enrolled at Camarillo High School, it was already a topic of discussion for many. Indeed, in his freshman year, he averaged 15.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.6 steals per game, an effort that led the team to an impressive 25-7 record and a spot in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) semifinals.

When the curtain finally came down on his time in high school, Jáquez Jr. had earned himself first-team All-CIF Southern Section honors, while amassing a staggering 2,653 career points. On top of that, he also managed to set a new school record by scoring 54 points in a single game against Royal High School, all the while still finding time to contribute to the school’s baseball team as a pitcher. Next came college and with that, it was the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that won the race to recruit him.

What was Jaime Jáquez Jr’s time like with the UCLA Bruins?

After making an immediate impact, Jáquez Jr. became a starter at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in November 2019 and it was there that he truly made people take notice with a number of impressive performances, including a season-high 18 points that he scored against San Jose. In his freshman year, he contributed an average of 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per Game which eventually saw him receive an honorable mention on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. Yet, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In the 2021-22 season, Jáquez Jr. struggled with ankle injuries, though he still managed to be a part of some critical victories for UCLA, including a career-high 30 points against Washington. Ultimately, his time with the Bruins would earn him a place on the All-Pac-12 first team and the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.

What does Jaime Jáquez Jr’s contract look like?

As mentioned above, Jáquez Jr. was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2023 with the 18th overall pick. He was the only Pac-12 player in the first round, and UCLA’s first senior first-round pick since 2009. This of course brings us to the nature of his contract which was initially reported as a four-year, $17 million deal. Later, the Miami Herald appeared to confirm the details of the deal explaining that Jaquez Jr. will earn $3.5 million for the 2023-24 season. That figure would then rise to $3.7 million for the 2024-25 season, $3.9 million in the 2025-26 season, and $5.9 million in the 2026-27 season. Again, being a rookie, those details appear to be in keeping with what can be expected. Yet, with the way the rising star has been playing, we’ve got to imagine those numbers will change drastically in time.