The Miami Heat are exploring options to move Nikola Jovic this offseason, but finding a trade partner has become difficult as teams evaluate his contract and recent production.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports reported Sunday that the Heat have shopped Jovic while attempting to create salary flexibility for Norman Powell. League sources told O’Connor that Miami would likely need to attach draft capital to move the 23-year-old forward’s contract, with the Heat having limited assets available after their blockbuster acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jovic is entering the first season of a four-year, $62.4 million rookie extension, a deal that has become harder to move because of his inconsistent development. Miami has only a 2029 first-round pick and swaps in 2028 and 2032 available to use as trade incentives.
The situation comes after the Heat reshaped their roster around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Miami acquired Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee in a massive trade package that sent Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-round pick to the Bucks.
Jovic remains one of the few young players left from Miami’s previous core, but his role may not align with the team’s new construction. The Serbian forward averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 47 games during the 2025-26 season while shooting 36.6% from the field and 26.9% from three-point range.
His skill set as a 6-foot-10 playmaking forward has always intrigued teams, but the Heat’s need for reliable spacing has become more urgent. Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists last season while shooting 62.4% from the field, creating a roster need for perimeter players who can punish defenses that collapse into the paint.
Adebayo also remains a central part of Miami’s interior-heavy identity. He averaged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while attempting 5.5 three-pointers per game and shooting 31.8% from deep.
Miami already has several perimeter options, including Powell, Andrew Wiggins and Pelle Larsson. Powell averaged 21.7 points while shooting 38.0% from three, while Wiggins connected on 41.4% of his three-point attempts during the season.
The Heat finished 43-39 in 2025-26 and entered the postseason through the Play-In Tournament as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference. The addition of Antetokounmpo changes their ceiling, but roster balance around their two interior stars will determine how quickly they can become a contender.
