Nikola Jovic’s new contract came with a lesson the Heat are hoping sticks.
After signing a four-year, $62 million extension before last season, Jovic said he let things slip once the money was secured. His own words were blunt when he spoke with Miami radio host Brendan Tobin.
“I wouldn’t say I was the smartest guy last year handling things outside of the court,” Jovic said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
That slump showed up on the floor. Jovic shot 36.6 percent from the field in 47 games, a drop-off Miami will be eager to see reverse.
Klay Thompson, meanwhile, made it clear why Miami appealed after his buyout with Dallas. The fit with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo was part of the draw from the start.
“Bam and Giannis, they’re the perfect modern-day bigs,” Thompson said. “Huge part of the reason I’m here.”
Thompson also enters the mix with a familiar face already in place in Andrew Wiggins, his former Warriors teammate.
“It’s a joy to be around Andrew,” Thompson said. “He’s one of the most low-maintenance All-Stars I’ve ever been around. He’s unflappable.”
In New York, James Wiseman is suddenly very much in the conversation for the Knicks’ last standard roster spot. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that the former No. 2 overall pick has moved to the front of the line for that opening.
There’s still preseason action ahead, and that matters for Wiseman, who has played only five games across the last two seasons after tearing his Achilles in October 2024. Knicks coach Mike Brown, who knows Wiseman from their time together in Golden State, sounded encouraged by the possibility.
“When you’re that long and that athletic, with skill, he has skill, there’s a place for you in this league,” Brown said. “Sometimes, it takes the right moment, the right team, the right situation.”
Wiseman is competing with Tony Bradley, Drew Eubanks, Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji. New York is expected to keep only 14 players so it can stay below the second tax apron.
In Brooklyn, Keon Ellis didn’t need much convincing about his next stop. The deciding factor was Jordi Fernandez, the coach he already knew from Sacramento.
Ellis said that relationship pushed him toward the two-year, $18 million deal with the Nets.
“It’s a safe space right there,” Ellis told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “He’s familiar with my game, I’m familiar with how he rocks.”
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Egor Dmin Could Unlock A Very Different Nets Offense
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For the Nets, that kind of growth matters because it could open the door to a very different offensive look, one that leans into Dmin's playmaking rather than asking him to fit neatly around it. If he can make that leap, Brooklyn has the kind of supporting cast that can make it work, with Mike Porter Jr., Julius Randle and Mikel Brown Jr. all expected to benefit from the space and decisions his game can create. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Put Michael Porter Jr. Under Pressure To Prove Hes Worth It
Michael Porter Jr. has arrived in Brooklyn with plenty of scoring reputation and just as much scrutiny. The Nets are evaluating him closely, and general manager Sean Marks has made clear the front office wants to see more consistency and better defense before it talks seriously about a contract extension.
Porter has said his focus is on winning and on showing he can be a key offensive piece, which fits the kind of upside Brooklyn is hoping to tap into. After averaging nearly 25 points per game last season, he has the production to strengthen his case, but with no extension finalized, his future with the Nets still hangs in the balance. [Read more 🡒]