Nikola Jovic

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Jovic, Highsmith, Jaquez

February 20th, 2024 at 10:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bam Adebayo admits he’s had a tough time adjusting to his new role as team captain, the Heat center told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Adebayo says the leadership responsibilities have made his season much more challenging.

“You’ve got to understand how to translate messages to everybody because everybody is different and everybody has their own stuff going on,” Adebayo said. “I got my own stuff going on in my mind, how I want to play and how I want to affect the game. And 14 other guys do, too. So trying to get 14 other guys to buy into your message, how you’re saying it, get them to buy into what the coach is saying. It’s tough because guys got dilemmas, guys got feelings.”

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Adebayo only attempted two shots in the All-Star Game but he feels validated by the fact he’s been selected three times, Chiang writes in a separate story. “Respect, at the end of the day,” he said. “Being able to, obviously, get to this thing three times, you want it to become a routine. You want it to be an every year thing. For me, it’s just respect from all the coaches who voted me in and respect for who I am and what I do.”
Forward Nikola Jovic is trying to adjust to coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation tinkering. Jovic had a 24-point outing against Milwaukee in a game shortly before the All-Star break. In other games, he barely sees the court. “The wild thing is I either start or I don’t play,” Jovic told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Jovic said he’s happy for any opportunities he gets on a contending team.
A man who was seriously injured in a car accident when he was struck by Haywood Highsmith‘s vehicle has filed a civil lawsuit against the Heat forward, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. The man was helping another driver whose car was stuck in the middle of a dark road when he was struck by Highsmith’s vehicle. The victim remains hospitalized after a partial amputation of his leg.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been one of the league’s most productive rookies and The Ringer’s Wes Goldberg’s details how the former UCLA star has quickly endeared himself to the team’s coaches and players.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Lowry, Roster Spot, Highsmith

February 15th, 2024 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Heat center Bam Adebayo faces a difficult path toward making an All-NBA team or earning Defensive Player of the Year honors, which would qualify him for a super-max contract that would be the richest in franchise history, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Either achievement would make Adebayo eligible for a four-year extension this summer that would pay up to $245MM. Otherwise, his extension would be capped at three years and $152MM.

The league has changed its all-NBA structure so that the team is now positionless, meaning the top 15 vote-getters will be honored regardless of where they play. Jackson notes that under the old rules, Adebayo would have a decent chance at landing one of the three center spots, considering that Joel Embiid will miss the 65-game requirement and Anthony Davis and Kristaps Porzingis aren’t guaranteed to reach that mark either. Now Adebayo is competing with the entire league after ranking 27th overall in All-NBA balloting last season.

Adebayo is given the sixth-best odds for DPOY by Draft Kings and Fanduel, Jackson points out. Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert is seen as the clear favorite for that honor as the anchor for one of the league’s top defensive teams.

Jackson states that Adebayo turned down a two-year, $97MM extension last summer in hopes of qualifying for the super-max. His current contract runs through 2025/26.

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There was no reunion with Kyle Lowry in the Heat’s Wednesday win at Philadelphia, Jackson writes in a separate story. The former Miami point guard signed with his hometown Sixers after reaching a buyout with Charlotte, but he won’t join the team until after the All-Star break.
Miami is expected to fill its 15-man roster opening soon to avoid reaching the 90-game combined limit for its players on two-way contracts, Jackson adds.
Haywood Highsmith is grateful to have basketball as an escape as he deals with the aftermath of last week’s auto accident that left a man hospitalized, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. “Basketball is my peace,” Highsmith said. “I wanted to get back with my teammates and my coaches, to be around them, so they can get my energy up. Obviously, it hasn’t been the easiest week or so for me, but I’m just taking it day by day, and being around my team has been very helpful. Being around my family, the coaching staff, everybody, has been very helpful. So the Heat culture, Heat family had my back, so I appreciate that.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was impressed by Miami’s ability to cultivate young talent after Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jovic led the Heat to a win at Milwaukee Tuesday night, Winderman notes in another Sun Sentinel story. “Jaquez, I mean, he’s the perfect fit for who they are and how they want to be,” Rivers said. “You know, it’s funny, I think certain guys actually target them, ‘Man, I’d fit in this system.’ Utah did that for years with Jerry Sloan. They kept doing it. And Miami’s doing it. But it’s more about their system and how they play, and how they target. But both of those guys are fun to watch.”

Heat Notes: Rozier, Butler, Jaquez, Love

January 26th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Rory Maher

On Tuesday, the Heat traded Kyle Lowry and their 2027 first-round pick to Charlotte for veteran guard Terry Rozier, who was having a career season in an expanded role for a team losing lots of games.

On Wednesday, Rozier had a physical and made his Heat debut, a home loss to the undermanned Grizzlies, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. On Thursday, Miami was eviscerated at home by the Celtics, Chiang adds in another story. Rozier struggled in both games after a whirlwind few days.

Thursday marked Miami’s fifth straight loss — its worst stretch of basketball since March 2021, when the team lost six straight. Trading for Rozier was an acknowledgement that the Heat needed more offensive firepower, and while he and everyone around the team realize he won’t be averaging 18.3 shots per game like he did with the Hornets, head coach Erik Spoelstra still wants him to get in the paint and be assertive, according to Chiang.

“It’s clear to see the positives with Terry,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “He brings us a burst, a speed, a quickness, his ability to get into the paint. I think that’s going to continue to get better once he understands how important it is to our offense and how we want him to be him and be aggressive.”

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Sam Vecenie of The Athletic likes what Rozier will bring Miami on offense, with his ability to drive and take (and make) pull-up threes both valuable traits for a team that doesn’t generate many points in either of those areas. However, he has questions about Rozier’s defense compared to Lowry’s, and thinks the possibility of giving up an unprotected pick in 2028 (it’s lottery protected in 2027 and will become unprotected in ’28 if it doesn’t convey) for Rozier probably wasn’t worth it.
Star forward Jimmy Butler spoke to the media after Thursday’s loss for the first time since the trade of close friend Lowry. He said the players’ performance has been abysmal lately and the onus is on them to compete much harder than they have been on both ends of the court, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link). Butler does think Rozier’s addition can help the team, however. “I mean, I think it can be a positive thing, a new face, yes,” Butler said. “The scoring that he brings, the leadership that he brings, he’s played in the playoffs a bunch with that Boston team. And I mean he’s just a hell of a player. He’s smiling. He’s happy. And I think that’s going to become very contagious. He’s going to be the ring leader for that.”
Rookie forward Jaime Jaquez will be available on Saturday against the Knicks after missing the past six games with a groin injury, the team announced (via Twitter). Jaquez won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in December for his second straight monthly award.
Veteran big man Kevin Love was out for the back-to-back this week due to an illness (Twitter link via Winderman) but he isn’t on the injury report for Saturday’s matchup with New York, which means he should be back in action. As Winderman observes, Thomas Bryant took Love’s minutes when he was out, over second-year forward/center Nikola Jovic.

Heat Notes: Big Three, Lowry, Murray, Trade Options

January 20th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have done a remarkable job of weathering injuries, but they’re only 31-31 over the past two years with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all on the court together, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That includes a home loss Friday night to the struggling Hawks, who were missing Trae Young, bringing Miami’s record to 5-6 this season with all three stars available.

“You get used to one guy being out there, or two, and we have all three of us,” Adebayo said. “We’re all trying to play the right way, but also be aggressive. There are going to be some rough patches and we just need to keep working through it.”

The problem, according to Jackson, is the lack of a reliable fourth option to supplement the Big Three, which has caused the offense to sputter. Rookie Jaime Jaquez had been filling that role, but a groin injury will force him to miss his fourth consecutive game on Sunday.

“Teams are doubling Bam and Jimmy every time they touch it in the post,” Herro said. “To be able to watch the film, make adjustments to our spacing, I think we’ll be fine. [We’re] just getting comfortable with everyone back in the rotation.”

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Veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, who was used as a reserve on Friday for the first time this season, is hoping to regain his starting spot, Jackson adds. Coach Erik Spoelstra explained that the move was made for tactical reasons. “With Jaime out, there are some moving parts with this,” Spoelstra said. “I’m not going to be just experimenting in the second half. This is about winning right now. Having Kyle anchor that second unit while Jaime is out is important.”
Hawks guard Dejounte Murray refused to comment on the possibility of being traded to Miami before next month’s deadline, Jackson states in a separate story. Before Friday’s game, Murray posted a photo to Instagram of him pointing to the Heat’s retired jerseys in the Kaseya Center rafters, but he told reporters it’s “respect for legends that have played this game the right way before,” rather than an indication that he wants to join the Heat.
Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel cautions that it’s dangerous to make a trade in reaction to recent acquisitions by the Knicks and Pacers. Winderman suggests that Lowry’s expiring $29.7MM contract only has value if the Heat are willing to take back long-term salary in return, but Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic might be in play if management doesn’t view them as part of the team’s future.

Trade Rumors: Bucks, Murray, Nets, Sixers, Brown, Heat, More

January 19th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks are among the teams registering interest in trading for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link). Haynes’ report doesn’t include any details beyond that, so it’s unclear what sort of package a Bucks team short on trade assets might be willing to offer for Murray.

It’s safe to assume Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard aren’t going anywhere, which means a Milwaukee offer would need to be built around either Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, or, more likely, a Bobby Portis/Pat Connaughton combo. No other players on the roster earn enough to viably match Murray’s $18MM+ salary (a package that includes only one of Portis or Connaughton could technically work, but would need to be at least a four-for-one or five-for one deal).

Middleton, Lopez, Portis, and Connaughton have all played significant roles in Milwaukee for the last few seasons. Middleton and Lopez, in particular, have been mainstays in the Bucks’ starting lineup for many years, while Portis and Connaughton have been among the team’s first players off the bench. All four were major contributors to the championship team in 2021.

Still, as the Bucks showed when they included Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen in their package for Lillard in September, they’re willing to send out key rotation players in a trade if they believe the deal raises their ceiling. And with no first-round picks and only two second-rounders left to deal, the Bucks would need to send out a quality player or two to be a contender in the Murray sweepstakes.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Responding to colleagues Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon, who argued on The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that the Nets should be sellers at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that’s not necessarily the way the team is leaning. “I can’t speak to what the Nets are thinking right this very second, but the word through the NBA is the Nets are attempting to be buyers,” Windhorst said. Brooklyn doesn’t control its own 2024 first-round pick, which will be sent to Houston.
Despite some speculation that he could be a trade deadline target, the Sixers are unlikely to pursue Raptors guard Bruce Brown, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Appearing on the Locked on Heat podcast (Twitter video link), Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports suggested that the Heat aren’t explicitly shopping Kyle Lowry and Nikola Jovic, but they’re among the players on the roster who are considered by potential trade partners to be available.
Within his latest Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Zach Lowe shares a couple of notable trade-related tidbits. According to Lowe, before trading for Pascal Siakam, the Pacers were one of several teams to reach out to the Jazz about Lauri Markkanen, but Utah showed zero interest in moving him. Additionally, Lowe says that the Spurs reached out to the Hawks to explore the possibility of a reversal of sorts to their 2022 Dejounte Murray deal, but those talks don’t appear to have gotten far.

Heat Notes: Jaquez, Spoelstra, Jovic, Wade

January 15th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Jaime Jaquez didn’t travel with the Heat for their two-game road trip after suffering a left groin strain Sunday night, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The rookie forward is the only player on the roster who hasn’t missed time this season, but that will change after he was injured on a dunk attempt in the first quarter.

“When I went up for the dunk in transition, I just didn’t feel that well when I took off,” Jaquez said. “It totally started to get worse throughout the duration of the game.”

Jaquez tried to play through the pain, but after talking to assistant coach Caron Butler, he decided to sit out the rest of the game as Haywood Highsmith took his place in Miami’s starting lineup for the second half. Jaquez also suffered a groin strain that forced him to miss two weeks during the preseason, but he doesn’t believe this one is as severe.

“I would say I don’t think it’s as bad,” Jaquez said. “I think especially since we’re on it very early, I’m going to make a very quick and smooth recovery. A lot of prevention is what we’re looking at right now.”

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Coach Erik Spoelstra sees a bright side to the continuing injury issues, saying they have brought a unique focus to the team, Winderman adds in a separate story. As an example, he points to forward Caleb Martin, who returned Friday after his second extended absence of the season. “Guys like Caleb, he wants to gobble up any minute of this type of environment that he can right now,” Spoelstra said. “And the underlying benefit of all this, without anybody having to talk about it, nobody’s taking any of this for granted. When you’re out and you want to play, you’re incredibly grateful to do what we get to do and compete at a high level.”
Nikola Jovic is learning how he can help the team during his greatest stretch of playing time since entering the NBA, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Injuries have provided a rare opportunity for the second-year forward, who was hurt for most of his rookie year and was barely used in the first 30 games of this season. “Defensively, I still need a lot of work. I feel like I’ve improved a lot because I’m working on it,” Jovic said. “But I still feel like I’m not there. As someone who is 6-foot-10, I think I can do a lot more. Those things are going to keep me on the court and those are the things that (Spoelstra) talks about and those are things that are important.”
Team president Pat Riley announced on Sunday that the Heat will build a statue of Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade outside their arena, writes David Wilson of The Miami Herald.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Jaquez, Love, Jovic

January 4th, 2024 at 1:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat center Bam Adebayo, who is signed through the 2025/26 season, would become eligible to sign a four-year, super-max extension this upcoming offseason if he meets the performance criteria.

But Adebayo has already been unavailable for 10 games and only played 12 minutes in an 11th, which means he can’t miss more than six games the rest of the way if he wants remain eligible for postseason awards that could lead to super-max qualification. That hasn’t escaped Adebayo’s attention.

“You’re definitely aware of that because that’s generational wealth at the end of the day,” he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald and other media members. “But we know the number, we know what it is and I know I’ve already missed 10 games. I got [six] left. But you handle those [six] with caution.”

However, Adebayo doesn’t mind the new CBA stipulation with the 65-game requirement for postseason honors.

“I think it’s a good rule because you get the best competition every day and there is no taking nights off,” he said. “You get some days where guys are just banged up, sore and they need one. It’s a long season. But I feel like around a 17-, 18-game [bufffer], that’s more than enough time.”

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One of the things that impressed the Heat about Jaime Jaquez Jr. as the draft neared was that Jaquez didn’t transfer during his UCLA career, even when his role changed, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes. “You just rarely see that anymore,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I mentioned the other night, usually if things are not perceived going your way — and the unfortunate thing right now for young kids, there’s so many people in their ears, and it’s a microwave society — so if you’re not a sensation right out of the gate as a number one option, you’re basically transferring, going into the portal, or you are declaring. And you’re not really getting these opportunities to grow, develop some grit, embrace a role, understand what it takes to win in that role, and then earn more opportunities. And that was relevant to us by the time he was a senior, he was really impacting winning as a number one option, but he was impacting winning as a role player.”
Kevin Love believes Jaquez has moved into the Rookie of the Year discussion alongside Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. “Jaime has stepped right into a role where we’ve needed him to play heavy minutes. He’s done it exceptionally well,” Love told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com.
Love also remarked to Medina that he’s embracing his bench role. “It starts by leading by example and using my voice because I’ve seen a lot and done a lot in this league,” he said. “Transitioning into that role is a huge part of what you just mentioned – it’s embracing change. A lot of people would say it’s a lesser role. But it’s not less important. Everybody gets to write a verse in this. I’m in here trying to write mine, and have it be an important role.”
While Jaquez is averaging 13.8 points and 30.0 minutes per game, 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jovic has only appeared in eight contests with the NBA club. Jovic told Sam Yip of HoopsHype that he’s trying to stay patient.” I feel great on the court, I’m just waiting for the opportunity,” he said. “You can’t rush through things. I’m sure it’ll come soon too, so I’m going to see where I’m at, help the team, show the coaches I can play.”

Florida Notes: Butler, Highsmith, Carter, Fultz

December 30th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have a new injury concern with Jimmy Butler, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Returning to the lineup after missing the previous four games with a left calf strain, Butler had to leave Saturday’s contest at Utah after hurting his right foot in a collision with Collin Sexton. According to Chiang, Butler walked slowly to Miami’s bench after the play and then headed to the locker room.

Head coach Eric Spoelstra wasn’t able to offer an update on Butler’s condition after the game, but X-rays taken on his foot were negative. Chiang states that the team will see how Butler is feeling over the next few days before deciding whether to perform an MRI.

Chiang notes that Butler has already missed eight games this season and may have to add to that total. With Tyler Herro sidelined for a long stretch due to a sprained ankle and Bam Adebayo dealing with nagging injuries, the team’s three best players have only been together for eight games.

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Haywood Highsmith was helped to the locker room in the final seconds of Saturday’s game after he also collided with Sexton and was hit in the head and neck area, Chiang adds. Injuries have already caused Highsmith to miss 11 games. The Heat were using their 18th different starting lineup of the season Saturday, as ongoing injuries gave rare starts to Nikola Jovic and two-way player R.J. Hampton.
Goga Bitadze was back in the Magic‘s starting lineup on Friday, but he didn’t find out about the assignment until an hour before game time, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wendell Carter Jr.‘s right knee flared up during warm-ups and he was ruled out because of tendinitis. “Honestly, even before the game I thought he was going to play,” Bitadze said. “We talked with him an hour before the game. I don’t want to say it was hard, but it was different. You’ve got to lock in differently when you start the games than when you come off the bench. I had to lock in and find a place [mentally] where I was ready to start. I think I did a good job and it was a great win.” Coach Jamahl Mosley said the medical staff will monitor Carter closely as he continues to work his way back after missing 20 games with an injured left hand.
Markelle Fultz is listed as questionable for the Magic‘s contest Sunday at Phoenix, meaning there’s a chance he could return after missing 23 games with tendinitis in his left knee, Beede adds.

Heat Notes: Hampton, Cain, Jovic, Love

December 29th, 2023 at 8:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard R.J. Hampton, who is on a two-way contract, made his first start with the Heat on Thursday, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel observes (via Twitter), Hampton became the 14th player to make at least one start for Miami through 31 games in 2023/24.

It was just the fourth NBA appearance this season for the former first-round pick, who finished with seven points, three assists and two rebounds in the victory over Golden State. Hampton finished with a positive plus/minus (+8) in his 25 minutes.

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Hampton, Jamal Cain and Nikola Jovic have spent most of the season in the G League, but they all made key contributions on Thursday with several players injured, Chiang writes for The Miami Herald. Cain, another two-way player, recorded seasons highs in points (18 on 7-of-14 shooting) and rebounds (six) while tying his season high with two steals. Jovic, the Heat’s 2022 first-round pick, had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 20 minutes. “The three young guys in particular, it’s not easy,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They go often times weeks without playing, but they have to stay ready, as UD [Udonis Haslem] always says, to be ready. And then they also have to improve. So they can’t just be the same players they are because they’re trying to prove themselves and really establish themselves in this league.”
Winderman takes a look at Jovic’s up-and-down second season, with the 20-year-old learning a new position (center) with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate.
Big man Kevin Love has primarily come off the bench in his first full season with Miami, which is a role he grew accustomed to with Cleveland, per Winderman (subscriber link). Love enjoys the freedom of being a reserve. “You’re playing free,” Love said of getting to enter without expectation of a specific niche. “I’m on the perimeter, I’m low, I’m catching the ball in different spots, I get to play pretty free within it. So, for me, it’s been finding myself shooting the ball. But as far as being effective and finishing, I feel like I can do that every night, even if I’m not scoring the ball.”

Heat Notes: Herro, Adebayo, Rotation, Lowry, Jovic

December 19th, 2023 at 7:45am CST by Luke Adams

After missing 18 and seven consecutive games, respectively, Tyler Herro (right ankle sprain) and Bam Adebayo (left hip contusion) returned from their injuries on Monday when the Heat hosted Minnesota. Although Miami lost the game to the Western Conference’s top seed, Herro and Adebayo didn’t show many signs of rust, combining for 47 total points on 20-of-40 shooting against the NBA’s best defense.

As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link) writes, while having Herro and Adebayo back is obviously good news for the Heat, it will create some rotation decisions for head coach Erik Spoelstra. Duncan Robinson and Orlando Robinson had been regular starters with Herro and Adebayo out, but both players returned to the bench on Monday, with Orlando not playing at all.

The Heat used nine players on Monday, but Kyle Lowry (soreness), who typically has a fairly significant role, wasn’t active. With that in mind, Winderman wonders if one of those nine players – perhaps Josh Richardson – will become the victim of a rotation crunch when everyone is healthy or if Spoelstra will decide to regularly use 10 players.

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Lowry was carrying a heavy workload while the Heat were shorthanded due to injuries, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, so the veteran guard’s absence on Monday seemed more like an effort to get him a rest day than a result of any serious health issue. Spoelstra declined on Monday to say whether Lowry would be given more time off, per Winderman. “We treat everything on a game-by-game basis,” the Heat coach said.
Because the incentives in Herro’s contract are tied to postseason awards like All-NBA, MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year, the team now knows for sure that he won’t earn any of those bonuses this season, since he’ll fall short of the 65-game minimum required to qualify, Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). That means Herro’s 2024/25 cap hit will remain at $29MM rather than increasing, which is useful information for the team to have as it weighs potential roster moves with an eye on next season’s salary.
JC Butler, the son of Heat assistant coach Caron Butler, has joined the team’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, as Winderman details in the same story. The younger Butler went undrafted out of UC Irvine in 2022.
Nikola Jovic continues to bounce back and forth between the NBA and the G League, according to Chiang, who writes that the second-year forward is expected to return to the Skyforce on Tuesday to take part in the G League’s Winter Showcase in Orlando. “We want to get him game minutes, as much as possible,” Spoelstra said. Jovic added that he’s being “patient” and still feels as if the organization believes in him despite the lack of opportunities at the NBA level.

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