Nikola Jovic

The Miami Heat selected Serbian forward Nikola Jovic with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Heat is expected to operate as an over-the-cap team in free agency this offseason since it does not hold cap space. The Ringer’s scouting report on Jovic compared him to Danilo Gallinari and described him as as a “player at his best with the ball in his hands in the open court or in the pick-and-roll. The full $1.8 million salaries of Strus, Vincent and Yurtseven become guaranteed for next season on Wednesday and the first $50,000 of Highsmith’s $1.8 million salary for next season becomes guaranteed if he’s not waived before July 1. Jovic, who was born in England before moving to Serbia and grew up playing water polo and basketball, is only the second first-round pick kept by the Heat in franchise history who played his previous season overseas. “The thing that impressed us the most at that time was the fact that he has great size, he has great length, he has great skills, he’s young and he’s going to get better,” Riley continued. But I’d rather get the player now, develop him and you can always defer picks down the road if you want to do that. Jovic is slotted to make about $2.2 million next season as the 27th pick and will be under team control for five seasons. Jovic has good shot selection and has the vision as a passer to make his teammates better.” The Heat could have attached the selection to a multi-year contract in a deal to offload salary. He has the ability to do those things. According to the NBA’s scouting report on Jovic, he’s a “skilled three-level shot maker with tremendous size for a wing who has been productive in his first full season playing with Mega Mozzart’s senior team. ... Showing intriguing potential as a floor spacer but getting opportunities to handle the ball in the pick and roll and attack matchups from the post and the perimeter, his talent was apparent at times when his pull-up was falling.

Serbian forward Nikola Jovic has been selected by the Miami Heat with the 27th pick in the NBA draft.

Those forfeitures by the Heat and Bulls are why this draft is composed of only 58 picks instead of the customary 60. The funny thing is, it’s the first city I came to when I came to USA, so I think it’s a perfect one.” The Heat do not have a second-round selection. Some have even gotten to the Hall of Fame after being drafted 27th, with Dennis Rodman getting enshrined in 2011. “I was in Miami for almost one month when I came for the draft process,” Jovic said. History has shown the No. 27 selection can prove to be a good one.

The 6-foot-11 Serbian averaged 18.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in the U19 World Cup.

Good touch passer and can handle the ball.— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) June 24, 2022 At his best with the ball in his hands in the open court or in the pick-and-roll. Even if he’s not a shot blocker, his pure size still makes him more of a deterrent than smaller players in the same position. Against a switch, he has the size advantage down low if he develops a post game. In a draft devoid of major high-end international talent, Jovic may be the best of the bunch. His high center of gravity with the ball and finishing struggles in traffic (46% at the rim) limit him as a primary shot creator. He makes sense as a floor spacer next to Bam who can also make plays. Jovic likely has to improve in those two areas to stay on the floor, but skilled players his size aren’t always easy to find. Jovic has good shot selection and has the vision as a passer to make his teammates better. Of all the international prospects in this draft, Jovic has the most seamless NBA fit as a modern forward who can shoot, handle and pass. Evolving his off-ball defense and stabilizing his often-fluctuating motor will really help him win the margins, as he’s likely never going to quite have the range or flexibility to be a 1-on-1 stopper. After all the pre-draft speculation of Miami potentially trading back, Pat Riley and the Heat brain trust must’ve really liked Jovic’s game.

Nikola Jovic, the 6'11 Serbian phenom, has been selected by the Miami Heat with the 27th in the 2022 NBA Draft.

One of the most high-profile international talents in this year’s draft class is finally off the board. They are banking on improvements from Jovic on that side of the ball, in order to be one of the standout players of this draft class. As with most prospects, there are concerns surrounding Jovic’s game, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Nikola Jovic, a Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report Player: Jean Montero Position: PG...

"Jovic's combination of size, ballhandling, passing, dynamic shot-making, confidence and youth is intriguing to NBA scouts, drawing comparisons to oversized international guards like Danilo Gallinari and Deni Avdija," Givony wrote. Max Strus, SG: $1.7M (2023) Omer Yurtseven, C: $1.6M (2023) Gabe Vincent, PG: $1.7M (2023) Tyler Herro, SG: $4.3M (2023) Jimmy Butler, SF: $35.2M (2023); $48.8M (2026)

6'11 Nikola Jovic is one of the most talented international players in this year's NBA draft. He is from Serbia, likes to play the point-forward position, ...

In our eyes, he would complement perfectly with a scoring guard, giving additional options to create off the dribble against bigger guys. Which position can he guard in the NBA? Or maybe, where his liabilities would be exposed the least? In transition, he will be a huge weapon since he can dribble, give great outlet passes or recognize teammates running in front and put them in ideal situations to score. Sometimes it comes from wrong positioning, where Jovic defends the guy in front like he's a right-hander, while it's the opposite. Sometimes, he can wait and explore opportunities to pass inside before rising up without dribbling over the defender. He isn't the fastest player, but he sure can dribble past you if you close out too hard. But the scouts and GMs see the separation he can offer at the elite size. He lost quite a few basketballs this season when being pressured high up the court, and it showed in the wing's turnover rate, where he averaged 2.6 turnovers in 26 minutes of playing time. Jovic was the most effective on catch and shoot opportunities, scoring 1.34 points per possession on those. Let's analyze the upside he has and what kind of a role he could fit in. It does sound intriguing, and we know the comparison to another Nikola might pop in your head immediately, but this Serbian talent is different. We saw glimpses of NBA range and NBA-level confidence during this season.