Miami Heat Fire Back at Reports of Severe Nikola Jovic Injury…

Jovic is a crucial member of Serbia’s squad, which earned a silver medal at the 2023 World Cup and is expected to return to the podium in Paris. If he is unable to play for Serbia, at least at this point, the final decision lies with the national team and not the Heat. However, the Heat have not yet cleared him to participate in Serbia’s practices or games.

According to the Miami Herald, Jovic has not yet received medical clearance from the Heat to compete in the Olympics, which begin later this month. While the Heat has not ruled out clearing Jovic ahead of the Olympics, a league source said Serbia’s national federation will make the final decision on his eligibility for the games, even if the Heat clears him.

However, the Herald said that the Heat expect Jovic to be “ready and available” when training camp begins on October 1.

Heat Looking for a Breakout Year

Jovic clearly wants to participate in the Olympics, and he used his great World Cup performance (10.1 points, 56.6% shooting) last summer as a springboard to improve last season. The Heat have gradually brought the 21-year-old along, but in the final 14 games of 2023-24, Jovic averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 23.7 minutes.

He excelled in five games when he played 30 minutes or more, averaging 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 53.6% shooting, and 50.0% 3-point shooting. Jovic has certainly demonstrated that he is capable of taking on a larger role.

Jovic averaged 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 46 games. He shot 39.9% from the three-point line.

Of course, as the Heat consider how to potentially adjust the roster for next season, Jovic is an important aspect. If Miami does make a significant trade for another star player, Jovic is almost certain to be one of the players asked for in the deal.

In the interim, Jovic’s breakout season in 2024-25 is one of the keys to the Heat’s possible improvement if no deal is reached. Either way, they’ll want that ankle to mend quickly.

Sean Deveney is an experienced sports reporter for Heavy.com, covering the NBA, NFL, and MLB. He has been writing for Heavy since 2019 and has over two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of seven nonfiction works, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.”More on Sean Deveney.

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