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Nikola Jovic Rumors
“Niko had a really good June and late May,” Spoelstra said of Jovic’s time in the Heat gym. “He’s put on some strength, too. He’s just going to come back looking different. Every year, he comes back stronger, bigger. I’m excited about his improvement.”
Anthony Chiang: During an ongoing conference call with reporters, Heat newcomer Simone Fontecchio said he plans to play for Italy in the EuroBasket tournament later this offseason. Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson also expected to play in the event.
Anthony Chiang: Kasparas Jakucionis says he won't play in EuroBasket this year. Nikola Jovic (Serbia) and Pelle Larsson (Sweden) are expected to take part in the tournament later this summer.
Heat excluded Nikola Jovic in final offer for Kevin Durant
According to a source with direct knowledge, the Heat not only declined to offer center Kel’el Ware, but also did not offer forward Nikola Jovic to Phoenix in final discussions between the team before Suns shipped Durant to Houston on Sunday. Also, the source said that Miami was never willing to offer more than one first-round pick.
Heat turned down opportunity to place Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, No. 20 pick in Durant trade offer
The Heat made multiple offers for Kevin Durant but ultimately turned down the opportunity to place Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and other draft assets in a deal, sources said.
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But an injury put an end to that impressive string of games, as Jovic broke his right hand on Feb. 23 and missed the final 27 games of the regular season. He returned to take part in the Heat’s short-lived playoff run that ended in the first round for the second straight season. “I think since the new year and before my injury, I felt like I was pretty consistent and I kind of found my role coming off the bench and doing something,” Jovic said. “Then the injury kind of put me back down. That’s part of being consistent, the little injuries that I have to avoid somehow. But I felt pretty confident, I felt like I could bring a lot of stuff from the bench during that stretch.”
Jovic now enters an important offseason after a foot injury slowed him last offseason and the Heat’s deep run to the NBA Finals in 2023 shortened his first NBA offseason. Jovic hopes to stay healthy and on the court this offseason before joining the Serbian national team in late July to prepare for EuroBasket 2025, which begins on Aug. 27. “The last two summers, I really didn’t have time to work on anything,” Jovic admitted. “This summer I feel like I hope I stay healthy and everything goes good until the training camp for the national team, which is probably at the end of July. So I have a solid three months to work on something. What that something will be, I don’t know yet. I still have to connect with the coaches and think about it a little bit. But I feel like this might be the first summer that I actually have some time to improve my game.”
It has been a week since Nikola Jovic stood in a corner of the Miami Heat locker room at Kaseya Center speaking about the uncertainties of NBA life, of having seen teammates come and go this season, unsure of whether he could be next. And yet two days later, two days after the season-ending 55-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 2022 first-round pick was speaking about the need to get back to work — immediately — to maximize this offseason. “I have a solid three months to work on something,” the versatile 6-foot-10 forward said. “What that something will be, I don’t know yet. But I feel like this might be the first summer that I actually have some time to improve my game.”
Barry Jackson: Lots of questions to Heat players about Jimmy Butler fiasco's impact on the season. Nikola Jovic: "He got what we wanted. We're happy for him." Erik Spoelstra said respectfully it's not like Heat would have been the top seed if that didn't happen.
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“Jovic gave them a huge boost,” Atkinson said, with the playoff series now moving to Miami for Games 3 (Saturday at 1 p.m. at Kaseya Center) and 4 (Monday with time TBD). “He’s big, he gave them another big wing. He came in rebounding and making plays.” But Jovic was hard on himself after Game 2, blaming himself for the loss because of mistakes he made down the stretch. He missed all four of his three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, including two airballs, and committed two costly turnovers in the final 2:43 of the game. “I got what I wanted and that’s to close the game in the playoffs,” said Jovic, who averaged career highs in points (10.7 per game), assists (2.8) and minutes (25.1) this regular season in his third NBA season.
The rust was understandable, as Wednesday represented Jovic’s first meaningful and extended playing time since he fractured his right hand on Feb. 23. He returned to game action for the first time since the injury when he played the final 1:23 of Sunday’s Game 1 loss in Cleveland, but that came at the end of a lopsided defeat. “No, I just think I wasn’t smart enough,” Jovic said when asked whether fatigue was a factor for him late in Wednesday’s contest. “I got to be better. It’s not the regular season. If we took this one, it’s 1-1, we are headed back home and we’re feeling great.”
“The stuff that I did at the end is really unacceptable. I really did cost us the game and I just got to be better. This is my third year. I’m not a rookie anymore. I’ve seen what’s the deal and how to get to the playoffs, and the stuff that I did today was just not good. “I’m really grateful that coach gave me the opportunity. I’m not worried about my shot. I know if I have those shots again, I will shoot them every time because I know I’m open and I know I can make them. They just didn’t go in and I got to be better.”
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