The Miami Heat's year of 2025 was eventful to say the least. From the Jimmy Butler trade saga to the Terry Butler gambling investigation, there were a ton of storylines in the negative light. However, the offseason deal for Norman Powell seems to be paying massive dividends this season. However, even with the ups-and-downs, there is one regret the Heat may have heading into the new year.
Bleacher Report released an article, highlighting the one biggest regret of 2025 for every NBA franchise. The Heat had plenty of nominees but the article claimed "paying Nikola Jovic before he earned it" as the biggest regret.
"Fleeting moments were the theme of Jovic's first three NBA seasons," the article wrote. "There were flashes of offensive brilliance, multiple trips to the injury report and enough defensive limitations to make him a less-than-locked-in member of Miami's nightly rotation. The Heat somehow decided they'd seen enough to reward the offensive swingman with a four-year, $62.4 million extension in early October. Granted, that's not an astronomic amount by NBA standards, but it still had folks scratching their heads. Jovic's play to this point has only fueled further skepticism. When he hasn't been bothered by injuries, he's been fighting out-of-rhythm shooting (39.9/31.7/76.6 slash) and struggling to find his place in Miami's revamped offensive approach."
When Jovic signed his extension in Oct., it originally raised some eyebrows. He has never been a player who has shown a ton of promise but has played well in his role ever since he entered the league. His shooting splits this season have been the most skeptical of the notable players in the rotation. However, at his young age, he still could turn it around and prove he was worth the extension.
Looking back at 2025, another regret could be trading for Rozier. Even though the trade occurred in 2024, the deal is having long-lasting effects on the franchise. He played well originally in that season but had regressed rather quickly. When you add the fact he is heavily involved in a serious gambling investigation, the trade looks even worse... and add a future first-round pick in terms of compensation to Charlotte as well. What was once viewed as a promising deal turned really ugly in such a short period of time.
Miami should not reflect on the past, considering the team seems more competitive than last season at this point but some decisions could jeopardize the team's future.