Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic opened EuroBasket 2025 with an explosive performance on Wednesday in Latvia, pouring in 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting as Serbia routed Estonia. Jovic, 22, was a plus-36 in just 16 minutes, connecting on 3-of-4 three-pointers while handing out six assists against a single turnover.
The Heat’s other EuroBasket participants struggled in their first games. Rookie guard Pelle Larsson finished with 10 points and missed all four of his three-point attempts for Sweden in Wednesday’s loss to Finland, hindered by foul trouble. On Thursday, forward Simone Fontecchio shot 1-for-11 and posted a minus-11 in 34 minutes as Italy fell to Greece by nine.
In a mailbag for The South Florida Sun Sentinel, reporter Ira Winderman wrote that Miami envisions Jovic as a primary front-court reserve for the 2025-26 season, while Larsson will aim to prove he can be a dependable ninth man in the rotation.
Winderman also noted that former Heat point guard Goran Dragic, who attended a recent practice, is not expected to join Erik Spoelstra’s coaching staff at this time. Dragic is instead offering informal guidance to players such as rookie point guard Kasparas Jakucionis.
With less than 24 hours until the NBA’s deadline to apply the stretch provision to 2025-26 salaries, the Heat are leaning against using the mechanism, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Miami’s earlier trade of Haywood Highsmith to Brooklyn moved the club below the luxury-tax line, reducing the need for a waive-and-stretch maneuver.
Source: Hoops Rumors
