Nikola Jovic’s future with the Miami Heat remains unclear as he could be included in the trade package for Damian Lillard.
But the organization appears ready to put the Serbian on the roster at the start of the season.
Some Heat officials even talked “quite a bit” about Kevin Love having been his mentor.
The former NBA champion said he is proud of what his Heat teammates can achieve at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Serbia, Jovic’s national team, was missing key players from the tournament, including NBA superstar Nikola Jokic, who chose not to participate in the event.
Despite this, the team had an incredible run to the gold medal round when they lost to Germany on Sunday.
Jovic played a key role for Serbia, averaging 10.
1 points, 3.
0 rebounds and 2.
6 assists per game.
The 6-foot-10 forward made his mark in the group stage, scoring 17 points against Puerto Rico and 25 points against South Sudan to help his team take first place in the group heading into the second round of the competition.
Against Germany in the final round, the Heat’s 2022 first-round pick did most of the damage across the board, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for his team, who lost the rebounding battle 35-29.
Germany won with a final score of 83-77.
After finishing his duty in his country for the season, Jovic will likely soon turn his attention to helping Miami compete for the NBA title once again.
The 20-year-old had a relatively quiet rookie campaign, posting just 5.
5 points and 2.
1 rebounds per game in 15 regular-season appearances.
He failed to make the Heat’s playoff run, although he was in the game when his team faced compatriot Jokic in the NBA Finals.
Many Heat fans are hoping Jovic can take a big step forward this season, that is if he stays with the organization.
As one of Miami’s top prospects, he should be included in potential trade packages Miami could offer Lillard.
It remains to be seen what uniform Jovic will wear when the season begins, but he has expressed his desire to stay in Miami.