MIAMI — For Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic there is dual motivation from Goran Dragic when it comes to his participation in EuroBasket starting next month.
Expected to move into a sizable role with Serbia’s national team, Jovic said in an interview ahead of Serbia’s training camp that Dragic eased his Heat path into such extracurricular offseason work.
“I’m sure it’s not easy for them, just like for other NBA teams,” Jovic told Eurohoops of a schedule that will have him playing into September, a schedule that could have him in action in Latvia two weeks before the start of Heat training camp. “You’re letting someone play for their country, paying them a lot of money, and they’re important to you. An injury would definitely be a setback for them. But, by chance, and to my great fortune, I’m part of the Miami team that had Goran Dragić.
“They say, themselves, that he always came back better from international tournaments. It’s an honor and a pleasure for them to let me play for Serbia. Of course, it all starts with me, I’m always the one who would give anything to play. And the fact that they support me and want me to be with Serbia only gives me more motivation. And it makes it easier for me.”
Dragic helped Slovenia win EuroBasket in September 2017 in Turkey and then in February 2018 was named an All-Star for the lone time in his NBA career.
The Heat traditionally have supported their players in international competition, with the Heat coach Erik Spoelstra having served two international cycles as an assistant coach with USA Basketball and in line to coach Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In addition to Jovic, also scheduled to represent the Heat at EuroBasket will be Pelle Larsson (Sweden) and Simone Fontecchio (Italy).
Spoelstra spoke at summer league how the Serbian program, with its legendary coach Svetislav Pešić, stands as a quality proving ground for Jovic, who has spent his first three NBA seasons in an out of the Heat lineup and rotation.
“I think the last two summers have been really good because it’s been a strong balance of the Miami Heat player development program and then going to play for his national team,” Spoelstra said. “I think that’s helped his maturity.”
Jovic, 22, was part of the Serbian national team that won bronze at the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines and then part of the Serbian national team that took bronze last summer at the Paris Olympics, where Spoelstra, Heat center Bam Adebayo and Team USA won gold.
Jovic said he hardly considers the extra summer work onerous in light of the Heat’s swift playoff elimination in a first-round sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I’ve been training individually for a long time now,” Jovic said. “The season ended pretty early for Miami. We did make the playoffs, which was really important to us, but I’ve been here since May first. It’s been three months. I’ve literally been training since May fifth.”
Serbia opens play at EuroBasket on Aug. 27 in Latvia against Estonia.
Spoelstra said he expects Jovic to take the type of steps with the Serbian national team that also are expected with the Heat. For Jovic, solid play at EuroBasket could impact extension eligibility, with that window having opened this month. Jovic is entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract, with the No. 27 pick in the 2022 NBA draft to earn $4.4 million this coming season.
For Jovic, last summer’s international action hardly went as planned, arriving to Olympic training camp in a boot due to a workout injury sustained with the Heat, then taking ill in Paris.
“I couldn’t help enough,” Jovic said of his Olympic run last summer. “I managed to play a bit, but then I got sick over there and couldn’t play at all. Sometimes I even forget that I made it into the lineup coming off a broken foot.
“When we gathered, I arrived wearing a boot. I took it off and practically played right away. The people in Miami were the first ones who didn’t like that, but I just couldn’t skip that tournament. Now I’m healthy, and that’s the most important thing to me. Everything else will fall into place. Because, if nothing else, at least I know I can physically handle the challenges.”
Jovic again is projected as a Heat rotation player, with the team seemingly favoring his ability to play as a spark off the bench.
For Jovic, that makes EuroBasket a perfect takeoff point.
“This way,” he said, “I enter the new NBA season already in game rhythm. I just keep going.”
One more
The Heat have been linked to an Exhibit 10 contract with undrafted Utah guard Gabe Madsen.
Madsen participated in summer league with the Golden State Warriors.
An Exhibit 10 contract allows for a bonus up to $85,000 if a player moves on to a team’s G League affiliate after training camp, with such a deal eligible to be converted to a two-way contract or standard roster spot.
Teams are allowed to carry up to 21 players during the offseason, with a Madsen agreement putting the Heat at 17. The Heat currently stand with 14 players under standard contract, one below the regular-season maximum, and two players under two-way contract, also one below the regular-season maximum.
Originally Published: July 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT
