The Miami Heat prematurely giving of Nikola Jovic a significant contract extension (four years, $62 million) could be one big mistake that costs this franchise for years to come. Even though many do not admit it just yet, Jovic does have a feeling of a bust. And it may not be entirely his fault.
Locking him into a big contract could end up being a misstep this team may already be beginning to regret.
Not only did it force him into a role as a key foundational piece that he may not have been ready for, but it also added immense pressure on him as a player.
It's unfortunate because this entire situation was completely avoided. The Heat, for one reason or another, thought it was a necessity to get from out in front of a Jovic leap that many expected. That leap never came, and, in fact, there's a strong argument to be made that he took a step back in his development this season.
Nikola Jovic has quickly fallen out of grace in Miami
The fact that he can't even crack Erik Spoelstra's rotation at this point in the season is a big red flag. And it truly blurs his future with the team. In theory, he has a four-year contract that's just about to kick in, but you can bet that the Heat may scramble to move on from him before that ends.
Especially if the Heat are envisioning some big changes this summer, there's a chance they look to lump him into a bigger deal just to put this mistake behind them.
Whether that happens or not, it's going to be difficult not to blame the Heat for a complete mishandling of Jovic.
Nikola Jovic has had a season to forget
Sure, injuries have played a big part in Jovic's struggles this season, but even when he's been healthy this season, there hasn't been much for the Heat's coaching staff to be overly excited about. And now that they're all-in in one final playoff push, it'd be shocking if Jovic ever made it back into the team's rotation.
In what was supposed to be a career year for Jovic, he's seen a dip in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage. In short, it's been a disastrous fourth season for Jovic.
For both sides, this entire situation has to be incredibly frustrating. Before the season began, Jovic was considered a strong breakout candidate. However, that never translated on the court. And the Heat's coaching staff has to absorb some of that blame.
Jovic can't be absolved of it all, but the Heat's coaching staff didn't exactly do the best job of putting him in a position to succeed. Clearly.
Maybe it has to do more with Spo's new scheme than with his spot in the rotation itself. And that's fair. There's a chance that he's just not a great fit on this team anymore. However, if that is indeed the case, it just makes this entire situation that much more troubling.
That's something the Heat's coaching staff probably should've saw coming.
Had they seen that, they probably should've given a heads-up to the front office before forking over the big money deal he was signed to before the start of the season.
Jovic is young enough that he can still turn things around, but this season has been extremely discouraging. And if Jovic isn't able to turn things around quickly, this is the type of mistake that could set a franchise back.
The argument could be made that it already has.