Nikola Jovic wants to take a step forward with Miami Heat: "I have matured, I feel more professional"

NBA Market: Nikola Jovic has reached an agreement to extend his rookie contract with the Miami Heat for four seasons and $62.4 million, a fully guaranteed amount, as reported by his agents to ESPN.

The 22-year-old forward has played in 107 out of a possible 246 games since being selected as the 27th pick in the 2022 draft. Last season, he achieved his best scoring average with 10.7 points, although a fracture in his right hand on February 23 limited him to only 46 games. He was able to return in the playoffs, where he played in all four games of the first round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 9.5 points in 18.5 minutes. His standout performance came in the fourth game of that series when he scored 24 points, his highest total of the season.

The player enters this season after a busy summer with the Serbian national team, work that has strengthened his development and which, according to the Miami Heat, will be crucial for him to take on a bigger role in the team.

"He is becoming more mature, more professional," explained coach Erik Spoelstra during media day. "When you share a locker room and practices with players much older than you, that happens naturally. I have seen his growth over these three years thanks to the level of demand that this program has."

Jovic made his NBA debut at just 19 years and 139 days, becoming the second youngest player in the history of the Heat, only behind Dorell Wright in 2005.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nikola Jovic quiere dar un paso adelante en Miami Heat: "He madurado, me siento más profesional"