Miami Heat forward Nemanja Bjelica is reportedly set to play for the Serbian national team this summer as it attempts to qualify for the Olympics, according to Mozzart Sport.
Bjelica is coming off a season in which he was acquired by the Heat in a trade with the Sacramento Kings in March.
It was initially thought that he would play a key role in the Heat’s rotation, but the Serbian national wound up appearing in only 11 regular season games for Miami, averaging 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 14.2 minutes per game.
During the Heat’s first-round playoff loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bjelica only saw action in Games 2 and 3 of the series. In Game 3, the sharpshooter scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out two assists and made a trio of 3-pointers.
Bjelica is set to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be returning to Miami.
A good performance in the Olympic qualifiers could convince the Heat that they want to bring Bjelica back.
The Serbian national team will be competing against the Dominican Republic and Philippines in Group A of the Belgrade region of Olympic qualifiers.