Back at the 2022 NBA draft, the Miami Heat invested the No. 27 pick in Nikola Jović, a skilled 6'10" playmaking forward with mystery-man prospect appeal out of Serbia.
Fast forward three years, and Jović still sits as the biggest mystery in Miami—and quite possibly the key to the franchise's success during the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.
Despite having three seasons under his belt, he's still largely unproven at this level. He has fewer career minutes (2,256), for instance, than Washington Wizards scoring guard Bub Carrington, who was a lottery pick just last summer.
There have been, however, flashes from Jović that suggest he has plenty of untapped potential left. And if the Heat can help him realize that potential sooner than later, they could be infinitely more dangerous in the wide-open Eastern Conference than national pundits seem to think.
A leap year from Jović could be the biggest swing factor in Miami's season outlook.
While the Heat look a bit different from last season, it feels like there are a lot of knowns within this lineup.
Tyler Herro is an offensive star who is taking on more of a leadership role. Bam Adebayo is an absolute menace on defense. Norman Powell already looks like the steal of the summer. Rookie Kasparas Jakučionis, meanwhile, looks like a pretty big developmental project.
Jović, though, is an unknown. Some might say that's not ideal for a player with this much NBA service on his resume, but it could be a sneaky-great thing for the Heat.
This club could use a little mystery, and not only the kind revolving around Herro's possible contract extension or the front office's grandiose plans for the long-term.
A pleasant (and present) on-court surprise could be just the kind of thing that helps this club exceed expectations. And since the bar is set pretty low, externally at least, maybe Miami can clear it by a considerable amount.
A lot of this overachieving angle quietly hinges on Jović.
His skill set looks fascinating, particularly for a player of his size. On the offensive end, there is major do-everything potential. His per-36-minutes marks from this past season speak to that versatility: 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.4 three-pointers (with a 37.1 percent splash rate), per Basketball-Reference. He can handle either end of a pick-and-roll (or pick-and-pop), find shots for himself and his teammates, and thrive both on and off the ball.
His defense is a work in progress, but he has shown progression on that end. And between coach Erik Spoelstra's wizardry, Davion Mitchell's dogged point-of-attack defense, and the frontcourt protection provided by the Adebayo-Kel'el Ware tandem, there are reasons to believe Miami could survive a few growing pains on the defensive end from Jović.
He just needs to be worth that kind of trade-off based on his offensive impact. Given his obvious, well-rounded skills and the added motivation of this being a contract year, Heat fans should feel confident about a breakout season being on his horizon.