SNAPSHOT
A creative guard who can create his own shots, find his teammates and shows no fear with ball in hand, Jakucionis is an excellent backcourt option in the 2025 NBA Draft crop, and will be floating around the 1o-15 pick mark in Chicago.
Although he can be careless with the ball at times, Jakucionis is as creative as anyone when he is executing well, making highlight-level passes look effortless, while also being capable of creating shots for himself and converting in the process.
DRAFT PROFILE
Born in Lithuania, Jakucionis broke onto the scene when he joined Barcelona's junior program, being named to the U18 Euroleague All-Tournament Team for the 2023/24 season, and became the third youngest player in history to debut in the Liga ACB.
He caught the attention of several college teams, and settled on the Illinois Fighting Illini after being named a four-star recruit, with NCAA scouts impressed by his size at six-foot-six as well as his court vision and shot creation as a youngster.
Jakucionis made an instant impact as a Freshman for the Fighting Illini, being named as the Big Ten Player of the Week on two occasions and proving a reliable performer for Illinois. The guard was also named to the Third-Team All-Big Ten as well as the Big Ten All-Freshman Team for his efforts.
On the season, he averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, while shooting 44.0 per cent from the field, 31.8 per cent from the three-point line and 84.5 per cent from the charity stripe, although the impressive nature of some of his plays are not reflected in the statline.
STRENGTHS
+ Playmaking
+ Ability to score across all three levels
+ Shooting upside
+ Consistent hustle plays
IMPROVEMENTS
- Sloppy turnovers
- Defence
If Jakucionis is drafted to a team with an elite frontcourt presence, it will likely get the most out of his game in the future. The Lithuanian is elite in pick and rolls, often looking to bite off and nail some seriously tough passes, which makes life as easy as possible for the screener.
His shot creation is excellent as well, often using screens to find space and get to his spots, with his ability to score from all three levels a huge weapon as well. Although his three-point shooting is not as consistent as he would like, it is to no fault of his mechanic, and should develop in the coming years.
Despite being immensely talented, he is one of the most impressive prospects when it comes to effort on the basketball court, likely due to being exposed to professional basketball at such an early age. Whether it is diving for a loose ball or crashing the glass, he always pops up for a team-lifting play.
One of the biggest knocks on his game is his carelessness with the ball at times, which resulted in some needless turnovers for Illinois. Although he has the ability to make some freakish passes, he can bite off more than he can chew on occasion, so he will need to tidy these up at NBA level.
DRAFT PROJECTION: Top 15
The point guard is certainly a chance to sneak into the top 10 with his elite vision, impressive shot creation and three level scoring, all of which will appeal to NBA sides. If he can tidy up his turnovers and continue to work on his perimeter shooting, he could be an All-Star calibre player.
