LAS VEGAS — Despite reports from European media outlets that forward Nikola Jovic has a fractured ankle and will miss the Olympics for Serbia, the Miami Heat’s medical staff is defining that injury as a sprain, as well as a metatarsal fracture, with no formal Heat determination yet on Jovic’s Olympic status.
Jovic was injured during drilling at Kaseya Center last month, taking a misstep during a defensive closeout drill.
As it is, Jovic was held out of Serbia’s initial Olympic warmup game and now also has been removed from Serbia’s traveling squad for additional exhibitions ahead of the Paris Games later this month, instead remaining behind in Belgrade.
If a decision on Jovic’s Olympic status comes in the short term, it would come from Serbia’s national federation and not, at the moment, from the Heat, according to an NBA source.
The initial expectation had Jovic potentially starting in Serbia’s power rotation alongside Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Now the concern could turn to the Heat’s starting of training camp in September and Jovic’s third season.
After limited playing time in his rookie season after being selected at No. 27 in the 2022 NBA draft, and then a minimal role at the start of last season, Jovic moved into the Heat rotation late last season and eventually emerged as a playoff starter.
Jovic averaged 9.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in the Heat’s 4-1 first-round playoff ouster at the hands of the eventual NBA championship Boston Celtics.
Based on the composition of the Heat’s 2024-25 roster, with Kevin Love expected to remain as a backup center, Haywood Highsmith considered an undersized power forward, first-round pick Kel’el Ware anticipated to be brought along patiently and Caleb Martin having departed to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, a starting role again appears possible for Jovic, who turned 21 in June.
Jovic told Meridian Sport in Europe that he was unsure about the timing of the return, saying of the injury, “it’s stronger than me.”
Jovic was part of the Serbia roster that won the silver medal at last summer’s World Cup in The Philippines.
Serbia is the first Olympic opponent for Team USA, whose roster features Heat center Bam Adebayo and whose coaching staff includes Heat coach Erik Spoelstra working as an assistant to Steve Kerr.
Adebayo had spoken of his anticipation of facing Jovic in the Olympics, with Jovic already ruled out of the upcoming Serbia-USA exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
Serbia Olympic roster: Vasilije Micic, Charlotte Hornets; Aleksej Pokusevski, Charlotte Hornets; Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks; Nikola Jovic, Miami Heat; Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets; Vladimir Lucic, FC Bayern Munich; Marko Guduric, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul; Vanja Marinkovic, Partizan; Ognjen Dobric, Virtus Segafredo Bologna; Filip Petrusev, Olympiacos; Piraeus Nikola Milutinov, Olympiacos Piraeus; Dusan Ristic, Lenovo Tenerife; Aleksa Avramovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade; Ognjen Jaramaz, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade; Dejan Davidovac, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade; Uros Plavsic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.
