As teams across the NBA gather information ahead of next month’s trade deadline, one thing they’ve learned about the Miami Heat is that Nikola Jovic could be available for the right price, according to a recent report.
“I can say that with Kyle Lowry’s deal and I think Nikola Jovic the Heat do have two potential outgoing pieces that the rest of the league is talking about and have been made aware of are available,” Yahoo’s Jake Fischer told the “Locked On Heat” podcast.
The Heat are in the market for upgrades at guard, and in conversations with rival front offices haven’t indicated that Jovic is untouchable.
"Jovic hasn’t necessarily been off the table"Jake Fischer on Locked On Heat podcast
According to Fischer, teams that have discussed trades with the Heat have come away believing Miami could include Jovic in a deal to acquire an upgrade over Lowry or for another major piece.
“When teams have been on the phone with Miami, the feedback they’ve been providing is, well, we’re gonna need a first or Jovic,” Fischer said. “And I think Jovic hasn’t necessarily been off the table, if that makes sense.”
This doesn’t mean that the Heat are eagerly trying to trade Jovic, who they selected with the 27th pick in the 2022 draft. Jovic has started Miami’s last seven games before Wednesday night’s tilt in Toronto. The Heat have gone 5-2 in that stretch and they believe in Jovic’s upside as a long-term fit next to Bam Adebayo.
But if there’s a deal that includes Jovic and could help the Heat maximize the championship window of the Jimmy Butler-Adebayo core, they would have to think about it.
“I don’t think the Heat are shopping Nikola Jovic and Kyle Lowry around and seeing what they can get,” Fischer said. “I just think, in conversations, that’s the kind of stuff that has been brought up.”
Jovic, 20, has showcased his tantalizing skillset as a 6-foot-10 forward who can pass, handle and shoot. His rebounding and defensive effort have also picked up during this recent stretch.
But the Heat are in the market for guard help, and a team taking on Lowry’s expiring contract will want something of long-term value. Jovic is on a rookie-scale contract and makes sense as a prospect for rebuilding teams.