JAIME Jaquez Jr.

Jaquez Jr. played 75 games last season for Miami, averaging 28.3 minutes a night. He put up 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, with 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks. He shot 50.7 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from three and 76.9 percent at the free-throw line, good for a 57.0 true shooting mark. His usage rate sat at 21.6 percent, and his plus-minus was a positive 1.9. Those are the numbers Milwaukee is banking on translating into a new jersey: an efficient scorer who doesn't need a heavy workload to make an impact, with real touch from the line and a developing three-point shot.

The preseason slate has given an early glimpse of Jaquez Jr. in Milwaukee's rotation. He scored 9 points with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 21.8 minutes in a win over Indiana on October 16. Before that, he put up 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in 19.6 minutes in a loss to Charlotte on October 11, and 13 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists in 21.6 minutes in a win over Oklahoma City on October 7. He also had a quieter night against Minnesota on October 5, with 5 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 18.4 minutes. The minutes have been in the low-to-mid 20s, typical early-season preseason usage.

Jaquez Jr. is not on the injury report right now. He was cleared on October 16 after being listed Day-To-Day. That designation traces back to October 14, when he was held out for rest, logging zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists and zero minutes in Milwaukee's loss to Chicago that night. It was a planned rest day rather than a long-term issue, and he was back on the floor against Indiana two days later. For a player who logged 75 games last season in Miami, an early rest day in the preseason is nothing alarming, just load management before the games start to count.

Jaquez Jr.'s name has surfaced in extension conversations before the season even tips off. On October 15, he was flagged as an extension candidate, and two days earlier, on October 13, he appeared on a list of six under-the-radar veteran extension candidates to watch. Nothing has been reported as done, and these are reports to track rather than agreed deals. But the chatter lines up with what Milwaukee has in him: a 25-year-old guard with three years of experience and a proven per-game scoring and playmaking track record from last season in Miami. Expect more extension talk as the Bucks get a longer look at him in their system.