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In the last five years, the Miami Heat have gone to the Eastern Conference Finals three times, winning it twice. Throughout that period, the team has kept the core of its roster together but could potentially be in the final year of its ongoing era with star Jimmy Butler in the final season of his current contract.
Regardless of where Butler plays in the 2025-2026 season, there is no doubt that he is not the future of the team. At 35 years old, Butler is at the end of his athletic prime with the team ready to transition to recent Olympic gold medalist Bam Adebayo as their superstar.
Even then, Butler is clearly not going to come off the bench despite his age. The six-time All-Star has averaged over 20 points per game in nine of his last 11 seasons. Adebayo, along with high-priced stars Terry Rozier III and Tyler Herro, are just as locked-in. That leaves one returning starter with the least job security by a wide margin.
The Heat are currently content with their starting lineup but in the ever-changing modern NBA, nothing is guaranteed.
Nikola Jovic could lose starting job in 2024-2025
There is no doubt that few players on the Heat roster broke through more than Nikola Jovic did in 2023-2024. The former first-round pick began the year spending time with the Heat's G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. By the season, he became the starting power forward. Jovic is seemingly the perfect fit next to Adebayo as a sizeable stretch four with a unique offensive skill set.
No matter how impressive Jovic has been, he could be the victim of timing. If all goes right for rookie Kel'el Ware, the former Hoosier will be right on his heels. As the Heat's No. 15 overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, Ware was one of the most impressive players in the ensuing NBA Summer League. Few doubted his talent but there were questions about Miami selecting him considering his fit with Adebayo. The 2024 Paris Olympics put some of them to rest.
One of the biggest criticisms of Adebayo's game is his lack of a three-point shot, something he improved on during the 2023-2024 season by making a career-high 15 triples on 35.7 percent accuracy. The 27-year-old showed off his continuous efforts during the Olympics as a reliable floor-spacing big man next to Anthony Davis.
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At 6-foot-9, adding a jump shot to the game of Adebayo would make him a feasible power forward. That would allow Ware to occupy the middle as his running mate. Ware also showed the potential ability to space the floor in college at Indiana, making 42.5 percent of his three-pointers.
While Jovic is a much better floor-spacer and offensive weapon, the interior defensive tandem of Adebayo and Ware would have the potential to be the best in the league. Erik Spoelstra is notorious for favoring defense, potentially giving Ware the inside track.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. could also threaten Nikola Jovic
However, Spoelstra has also been hesitant to play rookies right away. That would give Jovic some security from Ware in the short term but not from budding star Jaime Jaquez Jr. The 23-year-old is fresh off a first-team All-Rookie season and would give up considerable size at 6-foot-6 but already has 24 starts under his belt, including all four of his career playoff games.
A starting job for Jaquez is also unlikely given how much Jovic has grown on Spoelstra, who also likes the idea of the UCLA product running his second unit. Yet, if there is a player in the league who embodies the Heat culture more than Butler and Adebayo, it might be Jaquez. There is something to earning Spoelstra's trust that is difficult to lose.
At this point in the offseason, it appears clear that Jovic will begin the year as Miami's starting power forward. Spoelstra has yet to fully unleash the Serbian but 2024-2025 could finally be his year. Either way, finding a stable player at the position has been a never-ending task for the Heat since they lost Chris Bosh nearly a decade ago and there is no reason for Jovic to assume his job is safe.
