Miami

Miami Heat send Nikola Jovic to G League for playing time


CHICAGO – The schedule said it was time for Nikola Jovic to play.

Not the Miami Heat’s schedule, but rather the schedule of the G League Sioux Falls Skyforce.

So, with that, the 2022 first-round pick out of Serbia participated Saturday morning in the Heat’s shootaround at the United Center, but, rather than staying for Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls, headed off to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

“He needs to play,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with Jovic having appeared in two games for 28 total minutes with the Heat this season. “That’s the most important thing. We’re right here. I’d like to get him a few games. This’ll be a shorter stint. We’ll evaluate and go from there.”

The timing of the trip worked to minimize travel, with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce, playing the Milwaukee Bucks’ affiliate in Oshkosh on Sunday and Tuesday and then the Bulls’ G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, in the Chicago area on Wednesday.

Such scheduling could have Jovic back with the Heat by week’s end, with the Heat on a five-game trip that continues Monday with another game against the Bulls, a Wednesday game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a Friday game against the New York Knicks and a Saturday game against the Brooklyn Nets.

Also leaving Saturday for the G League was forward Cole Swider, who is on a two-way contract.

“I think it will be huge,” Swider said of the assignment for Jovic. “Because I think there’ll be a point in the season where Niko will be in the rotation, he’ll be playing a lot of minutes. That’s just how the NBA works.

“So for him to be able to go down and get three games in four days, I think will be huge for him. He’ll be a main priority.”



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