Miami Heat Pulled Off HIGHWAY ROBBERY With The Nikola Jovic Extension!

Miami Heat Pulled Off HIGHWAY ROBBERY With The Nikola Jovic Extension!

The Miami Heat officially extended Nicole Yovic last evening to a 4-year 62.4 million extension keeping him in Miami for five season. I believe this was a great ingenious move by the Heat. I talked about it yesterday, but I want to talk about it more today. This is the Heat Report by Chad Sports. I am Nick Rolov. To me, this is borderline highway robbery. And I know that we can throw around a steel of a contract as a term a little loosely, but I have been on the Yovic hype train really for the past three seasons, and there has been nothing that I’ve seen on the basketball court that has made me feel any different. And with this official number and extension coming in, I feel like this is great value not only for Nicole Yoic, but for the Miami Heat. And if you’re excited about the Yoic extension like yours truly, hit that thumbs up icon. I’m fired up that he’s here for five more seasons, barring a trade. So, hit that thumbs up icon if you’re with me. Well, I wanted to show you this because we did a lot of discussion this off seasonason about a potential Yoic extension. My projection for Nola was a three-year $45 million deal that had him getting 15 mil per season and obviously in Miami this year and three years beyond. Well, the Heat actually were a little bit more aggressive. They felt more confident than I did in Nola, which I didn’t think was possible, giving him $15.6 6 million per season over four years. So I come in just about 600,000 less than what was actually finalized. And I do want to make this important note here for the people that are curious about the contract. This is just above the non-t taxpayer midlevel. So when you think about this contract, it’s basically an average NBA contract, right? And this was a player that was going to be a restricted free agent a year from now. and you could have very well done this deal in the off season of 2026, but you also run the risk of potentially him having a career year and then demanding more money and the open kind of contract negotiations with other teams could ultimately net him more money. I also want to make this note that there are no options in this deal. No team options, no player options, which means once again, barring a trade, Nicole Yoic is going to be here the next five seasons, this year and four year beyond. And I think this is a great deal for a lot of different reasons. One of them is another extension that happened this off seasonason. Let’s look back at the 2022 NBA draft class. Yoic was the 27th pick. Jabari Smith was the third pick in the draft by the Houston Rockets. He signed a five-year $122 million contract extension earlier this off season. I want to show this contract for a couple reasons. Why? Jav Smith’s good player. Really good defender. Good catch and shoot three-point shooter. Do I think he’s 8.8 million better than Nicole Yoic? I don’t think he is. And maybe it’s a hot take and maybe this is going to be looked at as a freezing cold take because Javari Smith will get to learn under Kevin Durant and maybe soak in all the information from him this year. But if you’re asking me, do I think Yovic is $8.8 million less of a player than Jabari Smith? I do not think that’s the case. I think Nicole Yoic is a better offensive basketball player than Jabari Smith. And I don’t really think that’s close. Now it’s Jabari is an elite defender so he’ll definitely get the edge there. But once again I think for the value of player you are getting Yic is just as valuable as Jabari Smith. I mean Jabari Smith didn’t really get a lot of playing time in crunchtime situations last year and that was before they traded for Kevin Durant. Nicole Yovic is an ascending basketball player. He was drafted when he was 18. He’s 22 years old and yes, there is obviously a main concern that we have to talk about when it comes to his availability. Only playing in 46 games in each of the last two seasons, but you see the vision, you see the potential, you see the development. He’s a 45% shooter from the field, a 38% career three-point shooter, and he’s getting better year after year, and you just simply can’t teach what he possesses at 610. The mental, the IQ, the passing ability of someone his size simply isn’t something you find often. This is a great deal for Miami and we’ll talk more about it here in a second. But do you like the Yoic extension? I think it’s a great deal for Miami and Nola. I think it’s one of the more fair extension deals we’ve seen in a long time. Like, and especially one that’s not a no-brainer, like hand him the max. Like, you actually have to like negotiate and find a number. I think this is a great deal for both sides. Type Y for yes if you agree, N for no. Think about this as well. Nicola Yovic, according to NBA estimates of salary cap increases, will never make more than 9% of the salary cap during his extension. It’s obviously less this season because he’s on that rookie contract of a 27th overall pick, but with this contract where he’s getting 15.6 per season, obviously it will likely be ascending, so it might be cheaper um in the first couple of years. in comparison to the last two. And it’s all just estimates right now. But if you average out 15.6 per season, you never have more than 9% of the NBA salary cap allocated to Nicole Yoic. That is just phenomenal stuff. And I want to make the point again, he is only 22 years old. He has not matured into his body. You don’t really enter your physical prime until you’re 27, 28. And guess what? This contract extension will run through his age 26 year, which means Nicola will be able to have another contract. It could be less, it could be larger, could be much larger if he plays well when he’s 26 years old entering his prime. So Miami being able to get this deal done at a pretty reasonable price level just tells you that they believe in him and they think this is a guy that’s going to be in Miami for a very long time. And there was overwhelming agreement with both what I think and what Miami thinks by NBA Twitter. Zack Low, one of the best out there, talked about a Yoic extension earlier this week on his podcast and both him and Fred Katz, said yes on Yic getting an extension and around this range. He believes it’s a good deal for both sides. I agree. Sam Vini believes it was a little higher than his projection anticipation or in anticipation. Oh Jesus, I can’t talk. Moving on. But I like the player size passing and shooting like he agrees. Keith Smith said he really likes the deal for both sides here. Like listen, I know everyone’s going to have a differentiating opinion, but I believe it’s a great deal for Miami and Nicola. Most of the NBA world believes so, and there’s clear investment here by the Miami Heat into the player and person. I’m very excited to see Nola grow in Miami for the next five seasons. But make sure you are subscribed to the channel because we break down every piece of Miami Heat news. We are currently at 24,644 subscribers. Trying to get to 25K before the season begins. But if you want to be up to date on everything Miami Heat, subscribe today. All right, final word on the extension before we kind of transition into something else on today’s show. I love the value and I love the bet on the upside for Miami. Nicole Yoic has to stay healthy. It’s the biggest concern from him only playing in 46 games of the last two seasons, but he is clearly valued as a cornerstone and pillar inside this organization. And to me, 15.6 mil per season signifies Miami believes this is a starting caliber player. You do not give him this contract unless you envision a big role for him. But also it is giving Yoic the ability that maybe there’s some growth here. Like I I just think that when you think of it, Nola, has he earned 15.6 mil per season? No, probably not because he’s only playing 46 games each of the last two years. But when you factor in his growth and potential with what he’s already provided you, that’s where you meet in the middle and give this really good contract. And I just mentioned it. I think 15.6 $6 million per season signifies he is a starting player. I really really do. Like I have talked about him being a starter and how I want the Heat to start him to begin the year with Hero out and if you’re investing this type of contract into him, that tells me you have a large role and vision for him. More coming on this, but grab a Heat blanket today. Wintertime is almost upon us. $29 off when you go to chatsports.com/heatblanket. Links in the description and comments of today’s video. Go grab yours now before this sale runs out. The Heat clearly value him as a featured player. And I just will make the same point again here that you don’t give this much money to a player like Nola unless you plan to have a large role for him. And I think that large role is in the starting lineup. My projected starting lineup right now is DaVon Mitchell, Norman Powell, Wiggins, Yovic, Bam. I know people will want to see Kell Wear start because he did last season and people wanted to see Bam and wear together for a long time, but simply put, Eric Spolstra trusts Nicola Yoic more. He’s been in the system more. He’s more offensively talented than Kel Wear. And yes, you’re losing rim protection, but you actually gain defensive versatility. I think that Kola Yoic is a real underrated defender. Early in his career, first year and a half, he was a bad defender. There is no question about that. But the growth that I saw from Nicola last season in in those limited four games of the playoff series against Cleveland tells me there is an ability where Nola could become I wouldn’t say an elite defender but an average to an above average defender in the NBA and he could guard three through five where can’t do that. So you gain positional versatility and defensive versatility. You gain more spacing and offensive fluidity. It just makes a lot of sense for me to open up the games in the first four to five minutes with Yovic in that group. Brady Hawk said he believes Nico is on track to be a starter. Not only because of the extension, but because of what he has seen and heard through the first couple days of heat training camp. Like the buzz out of training camp, at least from Brady Hawk, is that Yovic has really impressed and showing them why they should extend him, which they ultimately did. And it’s clear Miami is betting on Yoic to pop and have a career year this season. The Heat could have waited on Yoic and extended him next off seasonason. Yeah, it could have costed you more money if he did have a career year, but he is a restricted free agent or was, I should say, which means the Heat could have just matched any contract and they held all the leverage in that situation. We saw how that played out this season with Josh Giddy, Quinton Grimes, Cam Thomas, um, Quint Jonathan Kaminga. He could have done that, but instead they believe that he is going to have the best season of his career. They extended him a year early at a very fair price. And I hope the small bet pays off to where he does have a career year in a year from now we’re looking at this contract as an absolute bargain. I think it is. It’s why I titled this video that he just pulled off Highway Robbery. But let me know who you think should start. Should it be KL Wear or should it be Nicole Yoic? I think it should be Yoic. And I think we’re on track to see Yovic start. And I don’t want to be a tell told you so guy, but we’ll ultimately see what happens here. I know 90% of the comments believe KL Wear should start. So, I wonder if this changed your opinion, this being the contract extension. Obviously, all eyes will turn towards a Tyler Hero extension. Both Nicola and Tyler had to get an extension done prior to October 20th, unless they wanted to table it until next off season. So, that’s where we head to next. Will the Heat extend Tyler Herro? Maximum contract extension is a three-year $149.7 million deal. I’m still not doing it. I would be in on an extension around $40 million per season. I said three for 120 is very fair. I think that Brandon Ingram contract extension is pretty much the same exact thing Tyler Hero should get. That’s what the Raptors gave BI. But I also will admit I’m a little bit nervous to extend him with this injury. Hero has only stayed healthy and had a good year and made an all-star team once. Do you really want to reward it based off one year? I don’t know. It’s tough. It’s tough. It’s tough decision to make, but we’ll be here every step of the way. So, make sure you hit that sub button, join the Heat Report family, and we’ll be back with another video tomorrow. Go Heat.

The Nikola Jovic extension headlined the Miami Heat news yesterday as Pat Riley inked Jovic to a 4-year, $62.4 MM extension. Jovic, 27th pick in 2022 NBA Draft, has only appeared in 107 career games but has flashed potential with his 6’10” frame. Jovic may become a starter on the Miami Heat roster due to Tyler Herro’s injury. Miami Heat Report host Nic Rohloff breaks down the Jovic extension and why this is a great move by Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley, and the Heat front office.

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Nikola Jovic extension news:
Rolly’s Projection
3-years
$45 MM
$15 MM AAV
Finalized extension
4-years
$62.4 MM
$15.6 MM AAV

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Want more Heat rumors YouTube videos? Check out some of the ones posted this week:
– Miami Heat Make GENIUS Decision With Nikola Jovic!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ2DbkIBSKw
– Miami Heat News After Day 1 Of Heat Training Camp Ft. Pelle Larsson, Tyler Herro & Kel’el Ware: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXf6E6bCN7Q
– Heat Fans Get TERRIBLE News During Miami Heat Training Camp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLbalClvTB4

Nikola Jovic advanced offensive stats:
TS: 59.2% (73rd percentile)
SQ: 65.6 (77th percentile)
Portability: 9.3 (98th percentile)
Creation: 4.1 (72nd percentile)
Passer Rating: 6 (79th percentile)

Nikola Jovic 2024-25 usage rate:
Spotup: 39.5%
Transition: 20.0%
PRBH: 9.1%
Post: 6.1%
Rollman: 5.3%

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– Do you like the Nikola Jovic extension? Type ‘Y’ for Yes or ‘N’ for No
– Who should start? Type ‘NJ’ for Nikola Jovic or ‘KW’ for Kel’el Ware

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Davion Mitchell, G (Re-Signed)
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