Heat’s Jovic addresses starting issue, injury question. And Jaquez update
Nikola Jovic has his new contract. Now, ideally, he would like his starting job back.
Jovic was removed from the starting lineup eight games into last season, when the Heat was 3-5 and coach Erik Spoelstra was searching for a spark. Jovic started just twice again and generally thrived off the bench before sustaining a fractured right hand that sidelined him for 27 games, from late February until the start of the playoffs.
But as he enters his fourth season, Jovic hasn’t given up on the notion of being an NBA starter.
Before agreeing for a four-year, $62 million extension this week, Jovic made clear that starting remains both the immediate and long-term goal.
Whether Spoelstra opts to continue opening games with Kel’el Ware alongside Bam Adebayo, or turns to Jovic instead, stands as one of the subplots of the Heat’s preseason, which opens when Miami plays Orlando in Puerto Rico at 8 p.m. Saturday on FanDuel Sports Sun.
“Of course I want to be a starter,” Jovic said. “That’s everybody’s most important thing. I would love to start this year, but I did maybe better off the bench. It’s all about rotations and certain lineups. My main thing this year is to try and fight for that starting spot.”
As explained here, the Heat’s metrics last season were significantly better with Ware playing alongside Adebayo than with Jovic playing with Adebayo. But Jovic’s shooting and ball-handling could be a good fit in the starting lineup while Tyler Herro recovers from ankle surgery. Herro hopes to return in early November, but his absence could stretch well into the month.
Jovic understands why Spoelstra removed him from the starting group early last season.
“Something had to change,” Jovic said. “At the moment, it was me. Spo just wanted a different spark. I know I can play with Bam.”
In several statistical areas, Jovic’s averages in 56 career games as a starter are slightly worse than his 51 career games as a reserve. He has shot slightly better off the bench (46.0 overall, 37.2 on threes) than as a starter (44.1, 36.9).
In nearly identical minutes per game, he has averaged 8.8 points off the bench compared to 8.6 as a starter.
Jovic missed much of his rookie season with a back injury, then missed the final 27 regular-season games last season with the right hand fracture. During his three NBA seasons, he also missed time with hamstring and ankle injuries and missed one game with a fractured nose after a collision with Detroit’s Malik Beasley last November.
He broke his foot during a June 2024 offseason workout, causing him to miss the Paris Olympics.
But he disputes any perception about being injury-prone.
“I broke my foot [when I] stepped on someone,” he said. “I broke my nose [when] someone elbowed me. I broke my hand because someone hit my hand.
“What was I supposed to do? If someone hits you, I can’t talk to my bone and tell it to not break. Hopefully, I’m preparing my body for the whole season and play as many games as I can.”
Jovic said he would be fine adding “a little more weight” but cautions “I’ve got to be able to move.” He’s at 245 pounds after entering the league at 203.
▪ Jovic’s contract averages $15.6 million per season, which is just above the projected $14.1 million average salary this season. The fact there is no player option is a win for the Heat, because he cannot opt out during the four years. (There is no team option, either.)
“I’m happy that this ownership and organization sees the talent and sees the work I put in,” he said of the extension. “And I’ll make sure to give my everything to make this contract worth a lot more.”
Unless Andrew Wiggins opts out of his $30.1 million salary for 2026-27 (and that’s a strong possibility), the Heat would not have any cap space next summer with its current roster. But most of the top potential 2026 free agents already have signed contract extensions instead of opting for free agency next summer. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Trae Young are three exceptions.
Jaquez update
▪ Besides his work with a “mental coach” this offseason, Jaime Jaquez Jr. focused on several areas that needed improvement: his three-point shooting (32.2 percent as a rookie, 31.1 last season), his defense and his touch near the basket.
His shooting percentage at the rim dropped from 68.1 as a rookie to 66.2 last season. On shots from 3 to 10 feet, his percentage dipped from 49.2 to 43.8.
“When things are close range, you have to be able to count [on making] those baskets,” he said this week.
He said there was another area where he is demanding significant growth from himself:
“Awareness, on the defensive defense and offensive side,” he said. “That’s why watching a lot of film is important. Being aware of not making dumb errors, mistakes here and there that are very costly.”
How much work did he do on point of attack defense and pack pedaling?
“A lot,” he said. “I’m getting in the best shape, [have been] working with my trainers, trying to get faster, stronger and continue to work on my defense.”
This story was originally published October 3, 2025 at 10:02 AM.
