Kasparas Jakucionis says his offseason is already underway, and his focus is split between individual work in Los Angeles, early Miami Heat preparation, and his decision to play for Lithuania in the first national team window.
Talking about his break, Jakucionis said in an interview with the Lithuanian Basketball Federation: “The vacation is already over. I went to visit my sister in Barcelona. Symbolically, I slipped away for a few days to a resort in Mexico. Now I am training in Los Angeles, individually for now. Next week we will gather in Miami, where with the younger Heat players we will prepare for the summer.”
Jakucionis said he values the Miami program’s structure and the work it expects from young players. “The Heat’s culture is truly special,” he said. “We, the young guys, gather already next week. We will play 3-on-3 and improve individual skills. And I have a lot to improve.”
His first NBA season left him encouraged, even if he is not measuring it only by box-score production. “I am happy with the first year, not so much the results as the improvement process,” he said. “At the end of the season, compared with the first months, I felt a big difference. I got a lot of valuable lessons from more experienced teammates and coaches. Right now that is the most important thing for me.”
Jakucionis enters the offseason after his first NBA campaign, where he appeared in 53 games and averaged 6.2 points, shooting 42.9% from the field and 42.3% from three in limited minutes. His role steadily increased through the season.
He also pointed to the conversations that stood out most during the season, especially around Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley. “Every conversation, both with coach Erik Spoelstra and with Pat Riley,” Jakucionis said. “During the season and after it. For me, this is a unique opportunity to get wise advice about which direction I need to move.”
Within a rotation that includes Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Norman Powell, Miami’s young guard group has been tasked with development roles, often in structured minutes designed to accelerate growth.
The 19-year-old also said his birthday carries a bigger meaning because it lines up with a possible national-team milestone. “I do not really make a big deal out of birthdays, but it would be symbolic and very nice to debut for the Lithuanian national team,” he said.
He then confirmed his availability. “Yes. I will be in the first window. I will give everything for the national team and for my country. I already spoke about that with Heat representatives,” Jakucionis said.
Jakucionis added that the pull of Lithuania has been with him for years. “There has simply been a desire to participate,” he said. “I remember the youth national teams, maybe even from the U13 age group. When the Lithuanian anthem would play, I would get chills. That feeling had the biggest influence on my decision.”
Lithuania enter the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying Group D window with mixed positioning, sitting behind Italy and level in a tightly contested race that also includes Iceland and Great Britain. The upcoming fixtures against Great Britain on July 2 and Italy on July 5 are critical for standings progression.
He finished by framing Lithuania’s FIBA World Cup qualifying situation as motivation rather than pressure. “Quite the opposite — that should motivate us,” he said. “We have to go into every game with the mindset that we must win. There will not be many second chances.”
