Nikola Jovic could be one of the players who will leave the Miami Heat if they complete a trade for Damian Lillard, but the 20-year-old may not have much time to think about that this season.
Jovic represented Serbia at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and also played for the Heat in Summer League after his 2022-23 NBA season was impacted by a back injury.
He was recently asked if his busy summer helped distract him from all the Lillard trade speculation involving the Heat.
Jovic said last month that he wanted to stay in Miami, which has been trying to acquire Lillard for nearly three months since he requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers
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.It’s unclear if the Trail Blazers are looking to acquire Jovic or if he’s needed for a larger deal.
Portland is reportedly looking for young talent as part of a comeback if parting ways with its franchise player, and the No.
27 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft fits that bill.
He appeared in 15 games for the Heat during the 2022-23 season and averaged 5.
5 points per game while playing more than 13 minutes per game.
He also made seven brief appearances in the playoffs.
The Miami organization was clearly impressed with his play for Serbia at the World Cup, where he shot over 56% from the field in eight games for the tournament runners-up.
These comments could be a way to increase Jovic’s trade value, but they could also indicate that he would have a bigger role this season if he stayed with the Heat.
Miami hasn’t been able to add much to its roster while waiting for the Lillard deal to come to fruition, so they will look for contributions from other role players after losing Gabe Vincent and Max Strus in the offseason This.
Based on his summer results, Jovic looks like he could be one of those players.