The Miami Heat will not have power forward Nikola Jovic for at least a month due to an upper-body issue, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.

Heat announce Nikola Jovic out at least four weeks with a lower-back stress reaction, then will be evaluated.

Jovic has not appeared in any of the Heat's last four games. The last time he saw action was during a meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 26 when he saw 18 minutes of floor duty, scoring nine points and grabbing three rebounds in a 113-110 home victory.

Jovic's absence is not a major hit on Miami, but it does make the Heat's frontcourt thinner. Fortunately for them, Bam Adebayo is healthy these days, though both Dewayne Dedmon and Omer Yurtseven are currently sidelined. Dedmon has a chance to return sooner than later after entering the health and safety protocols late last December.  Yurtseven, on the other hand, is still recuperating from surgery on his left ankle.

As it stands, the Heat only have Caleb Martin, Udonis Haslem, and Adebayo as the remaining healthy bodies up front. In any case, the Heat will continue relying heavily on Adebayo to carry the load of the group, while Martin should see at least a little increase in his usage.

The 19-year-old Nikola Jovic was drafted by the Heat in the first round (27th overall) in the 2022 NBA Draft. So far this season, the Serbian big man is averaging 5.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game for the Heat.