Nikola Jovic says the trade chatter never really rattled him, but he’s still glad the offseason noise didn’t end with him somewhere else.
After a Wednesday workout in Las Vegas, the 23-year-old forward said he’s happy to be back with Miami for a fifth season, even though he thought there was a real chance his name would be moved.
“ I was happy that I stayed,” Jovic said after going through a workout on Wednesday in Las Vegas. “ I thought I was probably not going to be here.
But I’m really happy. Obviously, not only because I’m going to share the court and play with [ Giannis Antetokounmpo ], but I’m also happy that I’m going to be able to learn from one of the greatest power forwards ever.
The way he lives, the way he treats basketball, and stuff like that.”
Jovic also said he “wasn’t really worried” about the rumors. That’s a notable stance for a player coming off a rough fourth year, one that saw him post 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting .366/.269/.683 in 47 games, including 17.2 minutes per contest.
The 27th overall pick in the 2022 draft also admitted his motivation dipped after he signed a four-year, $62.4MM extension last October, though he says he’s ready to reset for 2025/26. He’s already had a couple strong showings with the Serbian national team, and he said that has helped him get his confidence back.
“ It’s good,” Jovic said of his play with the national team. “ I think it builds your confidence back up a little bit.
Like I always say, I know how good I am. I never didn’t believe in myself.
But it’s always good to look good and play good for your country. It’s good to build my confidence back up a little bit.”
There’s also some contract math shaping Miami’s bigger-picture decisions. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes that the extension with Andrew Wiggins looks team-friendly on the back end, with the two added years set to pay him a combined $34MM for the ’27/28 and ’28/29 seasons after he exercised his $30.2MM player option for next season. That setup could also make Wiggins a name to watch before the February deadline if the season doesn’t go the way Miami wants.
Jackson also weighed the pros and cons of using part of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Tim Hardaway Jr. He described Hardaway as a durable, confident outside shooter, while also pointing out the obvious drawbacks: defense and a playoff track record that hasn’t always matched the regular-season shooting.
As for the biggest-name fantasy fit, Chris Perkins of The South Florida Sun Sentinel argued that Miami still needs LeBron James more than LeBron needs Miami. Perkins’ point is simple: the Heat’s chances of making a deep playoff run would jump if the 22-time All-Star were on the roster, but that same logic applies to the other teams in the mix, and those clubs appear closer to a title than Miami.
And then there’s Trevor Keels, who isn’t carrying any resentment after the Heat chose not to give him a two-way qualifying offer last month. Keels is back with Miami’s Summer League group after spending most of last season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and he says this summer is about getting on the floor and making a case for another opportunity.
“ The last couple of Summer Leagues, I didn’t really get the opportunity to play. I was just kind of on the bench,” Keels said of summer time with the Knicks and Timberwolves.
“ So now that I get to play. I’m just going to show them what I can do.
I’m going to earn a two-way back or earn a contract back. I don’t look into it as, you know, this team did me this way, did me that way.
I love the organization. They do a good job of communicating.
And I’m all in. They know I’m all in, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get a contract or two-way.”
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