Miami Heat rookie Nikola Jovic has been denied the chance to represent Serbia in the 2022 EuroBasket.
“For [Aleksej] Pokusevski and Jovic, we did not get permission from their teams,” the senior national team selector revealed. “The teams want the players to work there and get ready for the new season.”
Though it is likely a bit of a blow for Jovic, it can’t come as much of a surprise. After all, the Heat spent their No. 27 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft on the 19-year-old.
The Heat surely want to spend as much time as possible with the youngster developing him in their system before the 2022-23 regular season gets underway.
If Jovic can adjust to the NBA style of play quickly, he may very well become a dangerous force for the Heat. At 6-foot-10, he’s certainly got the size necessary to succeed. Moreover, his statistical production has been impressive so far throughout his basketball journey.
Thus far, the Heat have had a rather quiet offseason. Though they’ve been involved in a lot of rumors, nothing major has materialized. There is still time for that to change, but it certainly seems like the Heat are being very careful with their decisions.
Hopefully, Jovic can help make a big impact in his rookie season and help the team once again compete as one of the more elite teams in the Eastern Conference.
