Heat forward Nikola Jovic got off to an excellent start at the EuroBasket tournament in Latvia on Wednesday, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Jovic was Serbia’s leading scorer – with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting – and was an eye-popping plus-36 in just 16 minutes of action in a blowout victory over Estonia.
As impressive as Jovic was a scorer and shooter (3-of-4 on three-pointers), his passing was perhaps even more noteworthy — he racked up six assists while committing just one turnover. The 22-year-old has averaged 2.2 assists per game in 107 regular season outings through three NBA seasons.
A pair of Jovic’s Heat teammates who are also competing at EuroBasket weren’t as productive in their respective 2025 debuts. Pelle Larsson battled foul trouble and scored just 10 points while missing all four of his three-point tries in Sweden’s loss to Finland on Wednesday. On Thursday, Simone Fontecchio made just 1-of-11 shots from the field and was a minus-11 across 34 minutes in Italy’s nine-point loss to Greece.
We have more on the Heat:
- In a mailbag for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman explores the Heat’s expectations and projected roles for Jovic and Larsson in 2025/26, suggesting that Jovic will likely be a top frontcourt reserve while Larsson would be doing well to show he can be a “quality ninth man.”
- Although former Heat point guard Goran Dragic may one day take on a more formal role with the club, there’s no indication that he’s joining Erik Spoelstra‘s coaching staff at this point, despite social media posts that showed him in attendance at practice, Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel. For now, it appears Dragic is just informally “looking to pass on knowledge to the next generation,” including rookie point guard Kasparas Jakucionis, Winderman explains.
- With the deadline for teams to use the stretch provision on 2025/26 salaries now less than 24 hours away, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald hears from a league source that the Heat are “leaning against” stretching anyone’s salary on Thursday or Friday. A waive-and-stretch move likely would’ve received more serious consideration if Miami hadn’t moved under the luxury tax line by trading Haywood Highsmith to Brooklyn earlier this month.
Heat will never be good while Pat Riley is in charge. Good players don’t need to take any of his BS.
Dude you sound stupid! Pat Riley been running the Miami Heat for 30 years now and has had great success with the organization. He’s won three championships over the 30 years. Then on top of that his teams have played in seven NBA Finals. So you sound silly and obviously don’t know your basketball. No team wins every year. He keeps the Miami Heat good or on the level to compete.
In the same time he been running the Miami Heat Pat Riley has won three NBA championships.
Chicago Bulls 3 championships
Golden State Warriors 4 championships
San Antonio Spurs 5 championships
Los Angeles Lakers 6 championships
So you can realistically say over the last 30 years since Pat Riley been running the Miami Heat they been a top 5 organization.
The better argument is if he’s to old and past his prime to effectively do the job ! Happened to the late great Jerry west best’ executive of my lifetime
Ke’el Ware is good enough to start at the 5, his ceiling is super high, but he’ll back up Bam so Wiggins can play PF, with Jovic as his backup.
Jaquez will start at SF. Fontecchio backup SF.
Rozier has been a terrible fit for Miami but he’s not a total write off yet. He’s redeemable, but not the consistent 3pt threat they’d like.
Herro and Bam are main ball handlers anyway. Combined they average 10APG. Jakucionis may be NBA ready and provide quality PG minutes.
This team has a very undervalued roster.
Mcpucho
6’8 Bam playing Center…nope
Wiggins playing PF when he should never….nope
Ware should not be starting yet because he needs to fully develop
Jaquez cannot be the starting SF if Wiggins is there.
Jakucionis is definitely not NBA ready
Rozier is a write off on this team. He needs to go with a better PG in return
Dude stop replying to my post when you are completely wrong about everything
He’s one of the best basketball minds ever. 9 rings. Your take is 100% buffoonery.
10 rings.
You can’t count. It’s 9.
1972: Player with the Los Angeles Lakers
1980: Assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers
1982, 1985, 1987, 1988: Head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers
2006: Head coach with the Miami Heat
2012, 2013: Executive with the Miami Heat
Drafting a Center in Ware and then immediately starting him next to veterans is what a rookie GM does….. Just saying
This team isn’t good enough. Riley has some choices to make
One superstar away and or one star prospect away
If they tank then they could trade Wiggins and Tyler H for expiring contracts and some sort of draft picks. Tank then get a top pick or then by offering Bam for a top pick. Not one long term contract on the books. Rebuild through the off-season draft and do it all in just that one off-season
Or
Trade Rozier, Simone Fontecchio and Keshad Johnson for a better starting PG and a starting C.
Waive Thompson and Gardner and sign a young SG and SF on two way contracts.
Jaquez sixth man of the year role
You don’t trade a perennial All-Star in his prime for draft picks, especially Pat Riley.
You obviously didn’t read anything other than three words.
You are acting like Bam is Micheal Jordan. See I can do what you just said to me. 6’8 undersized Bam isn’t that amazing
If it comes to it and the Miami Heat decide to rebuild next off-season because they are not good enough. THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH let me repeat that so you can see. All the Heat have left on the roster is Bam to offer. Example if Atlanta gets lucky and gets a top pick in next years draft, I’m sure Atlanta or top pick team in the playoffs would make a deal for Bam.
I also said or.
Bam will not win you anything. Bam is a perfect PF but he doesn’t have enough around him. Bam is a number 2 guy at best. Bam isn’t a alpha
Face it mcpucho this team isn’t good enough. Like I said they lack a superstar and or a star prospect
Drafting and then starting Ware at Center is what a braindead does. I need a Center, I know let’s draft one drrrr. Maybe it’s time for Pat to step down and take a break Pat
Fun fact. No NBA team has more Finals appearances in the last 20 years than the Heat.
Not the Warriors, not the Spurs. The Miami Heat. That’s all Pat Riley. He’s assembled multiple Finals teams.
I’m a Knicks fan. I have zero love for Heat or Riley, but I respect them. No other FO makes the playoffs annually and drafts so well simultaneously.
PS Don’t sleep on Andrew Wiggins this season.
As a Celtics fan I have a genuine hate and respect for Pat Riley.
Pat Riley was a draft bust