Nikola Jovic is reportedly being viewed as a negative asset around the NBA, with Jake Fischer reporting that the Dallas Mavericks wanted draft compensation attached to him in trade discussions centered on Klay Thompson.
The reported market perception comes as Jovic, 22, enters the first season of a four-year, $62.4 million contract and follows a significant statistical decline during the 2025-26 season.
Jovic averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 47 games for Miami last season. He shot 36.6% from the field and 26.9% from three-point range after posting 10.7 points per game and shooting 37.1% from deep in 2024-25.
His reduced production also coincided with a smaller role. Jovic averaged 17.2 minutes and started only one game in 2025-26, compared with 25.1 minutes per game the previous season.
The efficiency drop was particularly pronounced from three-point range. Jovic attempted 3.6 threes per game last season but converted only 1.0 per game, producing a .438 effective field-goal percentage after posting marks of .568 and .560 in the previous two seasons.
That regression has complicated the value of his new contract. At $62.4 million over four years, Jovic carries an average annual salary of $15.6 million, meaning any team acquiring him would be committing multiple seasons of guaranteed money to a player coming off his least efficient NBA campaign.
Jovic’s situation is also notable because of his age and earlier development. He averaged 7.7 points in 2023-24 and improved to 10.7 points in 2024-25 while shooting 37.1% from three, showing the type of size and perimeter skill that initially made him an intriguing long-term prospect.
However, his 2025-26 numbers moved in the opposite direction. His field-goal percentage fell from 45.6% to 36.6%, while his three-point percentage dropped by more than 10 percentage points, from 37.1% to 26.9%.
Miami’s roster construction has changed substantially since then. The Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis in the blockbuster trade with Milwaukee, then added Thompson to a group expected to feature Giannis, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell in the starting lineup.
