Nikola Jovic is owning a mistake from last season. After signing a four-year, $62 million extension before the year began, he said he got too comfortable and didn’t handle things the right way away from the floor.
“I wouldn’t say I was the smartest guy last year handling things outside of the court,” Jovic said in an interview with Miami radio host Brendan Tobin.
The results showed up in his numbers. Jovic’s production fell across the board, and he finished with a 36.6 percent shooting mark from the field.
Klay Thompson, meanwhile, said the Heat’s frontcourt helped sell him on Miami after his contract buyout with Dallas. In his view, Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo were a big part of the appeal.
“Bam and Giannis - they’re the perfect modern-day bigs. Huge part of the reason I’m here,” he said.
“You always want to be surrounded by great talent. I’ve been blessed to go through a career of being with great talented teammates and Miami just fits that more than ever.”
Thompson also talked about how much he enjoys being back alongside Andrew Wiggins, his former Golden State teammate. Wiggins returned the favor with plenty of praise of his own.
“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.”
Wiggins responded in kind: “Having Klay here has been great,” Wiggins said. “Klay brings so much to this team, a guy with four championships.
The ultimate Finals and championship experience, fiery competitor. I’m happy to have Klay on this team and be on a team where the energy is different now.”
There was also an injury note on Keshad Johnson, who will miss a few weeks with a right hamstring strain. The two-way player appeared in 32 games off the bench last season.
And then there’s Giannis. He has a $62.8 million option for next season and says he still doesn’t know what comes next with the franchise. For now, he says the goal is simple: make sure his time there leaves something behind.
“I want to know when this chapter is over, if I’m going to be here for a year or two or whatever it’s going to be, I want to leave my mark,” he said.
In Other News...
Heat Just Gave Fans An Early Answer On Their Biggest Concern
The early returns in Miamis preseason opener were a welcome sight for a team that has spent the offseason trying to answer a familiar question: where does the shooting come from? In the first half against the Raptors, the Heat were 11-for-23 from three-point range, and Andrew Wiggins helped set the tone by going 4-for-6 from deep. Tim Hardaway Jr. also chipped in 11 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, giving Miami a glimpse of the spacing it has been seeking around its new-look core.
There were still some obvious growing pains as the roster starts to mesh, but the shot profile was encouraging enough to stand out on a night when the Heat wanted clean looks and early rhythm. Even with Klay Thompson going scoreless on 0-for-2 shooting, Miami showed promising shooting around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, the kind of combination that could make this group a lot harder to defend if the perimeter touch holds up. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Fans Just Got An Early Look At A Huge NBA Change
The NBA is already showing what its next rules emphasis could look like, and Heat fans got a front-row preview in preseason play against Toronto. Early in the game, Scottie Barnes was whistled for an offensive push-off, a small moment that carried bigger meaning for a league planning stricter enforcement of off-arm contact in the 2026-27 season.
For Miami, it was the kind of preseason call that can shape how games are officiated long before the standings matter. The league wants to cut down on players using an off-arm to create space, which should put a premium on cleaner defense and more precise footwork, and the Heat are now getting an early look at how quickly that standard may become part of the night-to-night reality. [Read more 🡒]
Heat's East Rise Puts One Rival Question Front And Center
Miamis offseason overhaul has changed the conversation around the East, and it starts with Giannis Antetokounmpo joining a roster that already picked up several veterans. The Heat suddenly look like a team built not just to compete, but to pressure the top of the conference from the opening months of the season. For a franchise that has long measured itself by October expectations, the new look gives this team a different kind of weight going into the year.
The problem for Miami is that the rest of the East did not stand still. The Knicks, 76ers and Celtics all made notable moves of their own, and each brings its own blend of established talent and uncertainty to the race ahead. For the Heat, the bigger question is not whether the roster looks formidable on paper, but how it stacks up when the leagues other heavy hitters start testing those additions in real games. [Read more 🡒]