The Miami Heat are in a unique position going into the 2025-26 NBA season.
They have stars in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, which means they are still in win-now mode, but they do have an abundance of young talent, which could mean a rebuild could be on the horizon.
The Miami Heat’s immediate championship window effectively closed when they traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at last season’s trade deadline.
While the Heat did bring in Norman Powell this offseason, they aren’t expected to be a major threat in the East. Therefore, it does make sense for Miami to prioritize player development and maximize all of the young talent on their roster.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesBrian Windhorst says teams have ‘requested’ Nikola Jovic during trade discussions over the past year
One of the players the Heat have from their crop of young talent is Nikola Jovic.
Jovic got a big payday with the Heat as he signed a four-year, $62.4M rookie extension with the team.
The Heat giving Jovic this deal shows how much they believe in him for their long-term plans.
Brian Windhorst was on The Hoop Collective podcast and mentioned that Jovic is a player who has been targeted in trade discussions.
“He’s a player who has been requested during trade discussions over the past year or so, and they have resisted trading him. They obviously like his upside.
“He’s a role player for them at the moment, it’s just interesting when the Heat expend money and put money on their books.”
Tim Bontemps likes the Nikola Jovic deal for the Miami Heat
While Windhorst is skeptical of the Heat giving Jovic this type of deal, Tim Bontemps likes the contract for Jovic.
He believes Jovic lines up nicely next to Adebayo as a four and said this deal could wind up looking brilliant in a few months.
“When you look at him next to Bam Adebayo, as a four, this is a perfect deal for Miami.
“This is a deal where there’s a ton of upside for the Heat and we could be talking about this within three or four months next season as one of the better deals in the league… if Jovic can stay on the court.
“When you’re talking about why would the Heat spend this money, this could be a starter on a backup contract.”
Jovic showed signs of progress with Serbia over the summer during the EuroBasket tournament.
Jovic’s numbers have gone up every single season since being drafted, which is a good sign. For the 2024-25 season Jovic averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 46 games played.