Heat pick up options for Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez for 2025-26

As expected, the Miami Heat have officially exercised both 2025-26 team-options for wings Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic, NBA insider and reporter Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press first reported Thursday.

For Jaquez, it will be a third-year option while it’s a fourth-year option for Jovic, the final year of his rookie contract. The Heat had until Oct. 31, 2024, to decide whether or not to exercise both options.

The Heat have picked up the fourth-year option on Nikola Jovic and third-year option on Jaime Jaquez Jr., keeping them under contract through 2025-26.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 5, 2024

By virtue of being the No. 27 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jovic’s final year will be worth roughly $4.5 million–2.4 percent of the projected salary cap–according to Spotrac. Jaquez, on the other hand, will be on the books for $3.9 million; his fourth-year option is worth $5.9 million, which doesn’t have to be decided until Oct. 31, 2025.

In 46 games last season, Jovic averaged 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists, knocking down 45.2 percent of his attempts, including 39.9 percent from 3-point range on 3.5 triple tries per game. He started in 38 regular season games and 41 of the team’s final 44 contests (inc. postseason). In Game 3 of Miami’s first-round series against Boston, he posted 15 points and eight rebounds across 34 minutes, shooting 5-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Jaquez, who president Pat Riley dubbed a “proud, young warrior” during his end-of-season press conference, led the team in games played (75) as a rookie. He averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal on 48.9 percent shooting, 32.2 percent from 3-point range and 81.1 percent from the free-throw line.

He had a 30-game stretch last season where he tallied 16.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals on 51.1/37.5/83.9 shooting splits before suffering a groin injury that hampered the rest of the season.

Jaquez, 23, was one of 15 players named to the Team USA Select Team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Without Caleb Martin in the fold, it’s reasonable to expect increased roles for both Jovic and Jaquez, should they stay healthy, which has been a team-wide issue the last few seasons.