Jaquez said Milwaukee fans have gone out of their way to welcome him, and his first season with the team could shape his next contract.
Forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. spent his first three NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, but these days he hears from fans of the Milwaukee Bucks every time he takes his dog for a walk.
At media day on Monday, he talked about how much that welcome has meant to him as he gets ready for his first season away from the team that drafted him.
How Jaquez Ended Up in Milwaukee
The Bucks made the trade official on July 6, sending forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and forward Bobby Portis to Miami.
In return, Milwaukee got Jaquez, guard Tyler Herro, center Kel'el Ware, guard Kasparas Jakučionis, the draft rights to forward Nate Ament and a group of future draft picks that includes Miami's first-round picks in 2031 and 2033.
The trade was tough on Jaquez at first.
In July, he told the Miami Herald that the news hit him hard because Miami felt like home, though he also said he saw a lot of opportunity for himself in Milwaukee.
By media day, his tone had changed, according to ClutchPoints, which shared his full comments.
"I've been doing my best to get acclimated within the community," Jaquez said. "Go around town, go to different restaurants, meet different people. Every time I take my dog on a walk, I get people walking out and saying, 'Go Bucks! Go Bucks!' So I feel a lot of love here, and I really appreciate the city embracing myself, Tyler, Kel'el and Kas."
Herro was part of that same trade, and he also talked about a new era for the franchise at media day.
A Big Year for Jaquez
Jaquez is coming off career highs of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game last season, and he finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
He started only one of his 75 games, though, and he enters camp in a real battle for the starting small forward job.
Jaquez is in the last year of his rookie deal, and Milwaukee has until Oct.
19 to sign him to a rookie scale extension before he can reach restricted free agency in the summer of 2027.
When asked about it on Monday, he told reporters that he is trying to stay professional and only worry about the contract he has now, since whatever happens will happen.
Why the Bucks Should Want Him Around
Few people expect much from Milwaukee this season, and early power rankings have put the team at or near the bottom of the league.
A rebuilding team needs players who want to be there, and Jaquez sounds like someone who has fully bought in.
The Bucks should try to keep him for the long run if the price is fair, because a player who does a little bit of everything is worth even more when he actually wants to be in the city.
Milwaukee opens the preseason on Monday, Oct. 5, when it hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves at Fiserv Forum, and the regular season starts on Oct. 21 at Washington.
Those games will be the first real chance to see how Jaquez fits on the court in Milwaukee.
