OPINION: Should Miami Heat's Nikola Jovic Be Dealt?

Everything is shaping up right for the Miami Heat at the moment following their blockbuster offseason haul. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson highlight the incoming group of veterans now on the roster. While there is plenty to celebrate with Pat Riley and the front office's moves, there is one decision the team made that already may be regretted.

Of course, I'm talking about the Heat handing forward Nikola Jovic a rookie contract extension prior to last season. Miami gave him a four-year, $62.5 million contract extension that is now kicking in. Jovic was the team's first-round pick from 2022. Riley really liked what he had to offer for the foreseeable future. However, it seems the team is already regretting that contract decision as Jovic was basically a non-factor down the stretch of the regular season, only appearing in eight games post-January.

There were multiple opportunities this offseason to deal Jovic. Given his age, he still presumably has value throughout the league. Rumors even began spreading in August about the Heat sending him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Thompson. Lucky enough for the Heat, Dallas outright waived the four-time NBA champion and now both players are on Miami's roster.

While Jovic has been rather disappointing with his performance on the court, he is still quite young and I think it would be ill-advised to already give up on the forward. Erik Spoelstra has done a great job over the years when it comes to developing young talent and while Jovic has yet to fully display the ability to perform well on the court, there is still plenty of potential and Spoelstra is one of the few coaches in the NBA to trust to unlock it.

Despite his hefty salary, Jovic is expected to be near the bottom in terms of minutes. Antetokounmpo will obviously eat up most of the power forward minutes while the team also has Bobby Portis and Simone Fontecchio to potentially take some backup playing time as well. If Jovic performs well, he could jump over Fontecchio's minutes as the team has the long-term investment in the Serbian forward compared to Fontecchio's one-year contract.

Jovic has a lot of talent and shined throughout the FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers this summer. He played for Team Serbia and averaged 20 points in his four qualifying games played. Hopefully that is the sign of a potential incoming breakout campaign and the Heat won't have to regret handing out that large contract prior to last season.