The Miami Heat and Nikola Jovic’s relationship may have gotten off to a rocky start, but there’s no question that the team, and head coach Erik Spoelstra specifically, is expecting big things from the versatile forward in 2025-26. Spo made it quite clear that he’s encouraged by his progression over the last few years and that he’s excited about Jovic’s potential heading into his fourth season with the team.

In short, as Jovic enters what is going to be a huge year for his Heat future, Spo is looking for another jump in his progression.

For the Heat as a whole, there’s no question that they’ll greatly benefit from another developmental jump in Jovic’s game. Considering they need another young player to take an unexpected leap, Jovic has been somewhat overlooked as a potential candidate.

But Spo has made it quite clear that Jovic has done everything on his end to put himself in a great position heading into the 2025-26 NBA season.

Jovic’s complicated future with the Heat

Entering the final year of his contract, Jovic is currently eligible for a contract extension. However, because the Heat’s goal is to secure ultimate financial flexibility heading into the 2026 offseason, there’s a good chance they’re going to kick this can down the road.

At worst, Jovic will be a restricted free agent next summer, and the Heat will still have control over where he ultimately signs.

In some ways, delaying an extension could also help Jovic. Assuming that Jovic is about to have the best season of his career yet, he could go a long way in earning himself even more money by having another breakout year this season.

If Jovic plays his cards right, he could find himself in a position where he plays his way into a huge contract offer in restricted free agency – whether that comes from the Heat or another team.

Since he entered the league, Jovic’s ceiling as a player has been consistently debated. There are Heat fans that believe Jovic can be a borderline all-star in the future. Similarly, there is another portion of the fan base that doesn’t believe he’s more than a high-quality rotation piece.

Either way, you’d have to imagine that much of that is going to be decided by how he looks this season. In year four, most players are close to fully formed. On many fronts, that’s why this season is so important for not only Jovic but also the Heat as they try to sort out what his future will look like.