Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra would have headed over to Europe no matter the contract situation of one of the top young players on his roster, but certainly, the fact that Nikola Jovic and the Heat will be looking at a contract decision in the coming weeks adds a bit of extra intrigue.

Jovic will be playing this week for Serbia in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, his fourth major tournament with the national team. He played in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but averaged just 4.2 points in that tournament. Jovic could make his stamp on Serbian basketball this summer, but the star, no doubt, is Nikola Jokic–and he’s the big reason why Serbia is favored.

Spoelstra, via the Miami Herald, said he is appreciative of what Jovic gets from playing for Serbia.

“I’m really excited for Niko,” Spoelstra said, in a TV interview, via the Miami Herald. “I love it when he spends time with the national team. Every time he comes back to us, he comes back more mature. I think being around a group that knows how to win, that really cares about winning, the team is so connected also. So I think it makes a big impression on him. We’re looking forward to some great things ahead for him with us.”

Nikola Jović in 19 Minutes vs Slovenia

18 Points | 7 Rebounds | 8/10 FG | +28 pic.twitter.com/IZ6PylHg8J

— Mihailo (@SerbianMamba_) August 21, 2025

What Would a Nikola Jovic Contract Extension Look Like?

Great things from Jovic have been slow to come in Miami, though. While he has shown flashes of being a very good offensive complement to Bam Adebayo, he has also been inconsistent and simply not good enough defensively. Jovic averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds, playing 25.1 minutes per game last season.

Still, there’s been improvement, and for a Miami roster short on young prospects, developing Jovic is a priority. One problem, though, is that they also need to pay Jovic. He is heading into his fourth season and eligible for an extension this summer.

There has not been too much discussion on a Jovic extension yet, but Jovic does not want to go to restricted free agency and the Heat, though they’re protecting their summer of 2027 cap space, would like to get Jovic locked up on a reasonable deal.

Jovic is expected to be a bigger part of the Heat offense next season, and as one NBA executive said, “He is probably as cheap as he is going to get right now.”

While there have been no specific number son the table between the two sides, John Hollinger of The Athletic noted that an expected deal could be worth around $50-$60 million over four years. The deal would not kick in until the 2026-27 season.

That would likely be acceptable for Jovic who, again, does not want to risk being in the kind of position that Jonathan Kuminga is in now. And it would be doable for the Heat, because it still leave them cap space to chase a top free agent in 2027.