As the most hectic free agency period in recent memory dies down for the Miami Heat, fans of the team and the NBA have been wondering about the team’s depth.
In a move that sent shockwaves through the league, the Heat recently traded four of their players and their lottery draft pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis.
Miami Lost Key Pieces, but FIBA Play Showed the Depth Is There
The Heat also lost their leading scorer and lone All-Star, Norman Powell, to the Chicago Bulls. Powell averaged 21.7 points per game, but had a down second half of the season due to injury and poor spacing with Miami’s other score-first guard, Tyler Herro.
Herro, who was the centerpiece of the Antetokounmpo trade, averaged 20.5 points per game despite playing only 33 games. The two score-first guards never really clicked when healthy.
Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. provided valuable scoring off the bench, which the Heat will miss in 2026. Jaquez Jr. had a bounce-back season and was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up.
As the NBA season gets closer and closer, the curiosity surrounding Miami regards their bench. Do they have enough depth? The FIBA World Cup Qualifiers answered this question and gave the Heat more confidence heading into the season.
Heat guard Pelle Larsson, playing for Sweden, and forward Nikola Jovic, representing Serbia, both dominated. The two finished in the top four in scoring across their respective qualifying games.
Pelle Larsson Dominated the Scoring for Sweden
In his two games, Larsson averaged 25 points per game. He struggled in Sweden’s first game, shooting just 4-of-16 and 1-of-9 from three-point range, but was able to get to the free-throw line 11 times. His play helped lead Sweden to an 87-76 victory over Czechia. Larsson and Sweden won both games by an average margin of 10 points.
The second go-around was what really caught the attention of Heat fans and the basketball world as a whole. Larsson went nuclear, scoring 31 points. Again, he struggled from downtown, but shot a much more efficient 47.6% from the field and shot nearly 70% from two.
Larsson’s Toughness Has Made Him One of Miami’s Best Role Players
Larsson utilized his strength and athleticism to get to the rim. He is also creative with his ball handling and finishing in the paint. The 6-foot-5 guard is not too flashy and does just what he needs to do to score tough buckets. Last season for Miami, he averaged 11.4 points and over three rebounds and assists per game.
Larsson’s impact is just as valuable, if not more, on the defensive end of the floor. He comically got hit in the face 53 times last season. His toughness and willingness to do the dirty work earned him minutes as a second-round pick in 2024 and have made him one of Miami’s premier role players heading into the 2026 season.
The Swedish guard has shown not only flashes, but consistent good play throughout his two seasons in Miami. He has become a fan favorite and proven to be Miami’s most recent draft steal.
Nikola Jovic Showed His Ceiling Playing for Serbia
On an even brighter note, Nikola Jovic showed the potential the Heat have believed he held since he was drafted 27th overall in the 2022 NBA draft. One-upping his foreign teammate, Larsson, Jovic was third in scoring, averaging 27 points in the two games Serbia played.
Jovic shined next to three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic, scoring 32 points against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jovic led the team against BIH in points and blocks. He hit seven of his nine three-point attempts and was efficient all around.
After signing a hefty four-year contract extension with Miami, Jovic had the worst season of his career since his rookie season. Jovic’s numbers were down in almost every category. His PPG from the previous season dropped from 10.7 to 7.3, and his shooting numbers plummeted on all three levels.
Jovic’s Confidence Hit Rock Bottom Last Season
The fourth-year man who just got nearly $63 million guaranteed was unplayable in 2025. Game in and game out, it was obvious in the young forward’s body language that his confidence was drained.
“You feel like you’re good enough for the team to help, then all of a sudden you’re on the end of the bench and you feel like you’re never gonna see the floor again,” Jovic said in April. “In minutes I have, I got to be perfect to get consistent minutes, and if I don’t, I’m just going to be at the end of the bench, I guess.”
Jovic clearly understands he has to play consistently well to consistently see the floor, but his confidence level definitely dropped after last season.
The 6-foot-10 forward showed flashes last season and throughout his career, and his time with Serbia might just be the help he needs going into the second year of his pricey contract. Last November, Jovic scored a career-high 29 points versus the Portland Trail Blazers, also adding nine rebounds and seven assists.
Playing With Giannis Could Unlock Jovic’s Potential
Jovic got to play with Jokic, one of the all-time great passing bigs on their national team. In October, Jovic will get to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo, not known primarily as a passer, but another superstar big who draws plenty of attention on the court.
In Jovic’s film from the two FIBA games, he takes plenty of catch-and-shoot three-pointers from all around the arc. Playing with Antetokounmpo and even Bam Adebayo will open up many more catch-and-shoot opportunities for Jovic. Jovic, who many fans want out of Miami, may just be the sneaky depth piece off the bench whose production could skyrocket in 2026.
In Serbia’s second game, Jovic tallied 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He shot just one of four from beyond the arc, but was able to score in other ways. Jovic attacked and made seven of his eight shots from inside the paint, six of those right at the rim. He also shot six free throws, making five.
Giannis Gives the Stamp of Approval
After last season, Jovic needed a confidence boost heading into his fifth season in South Beach.
For basketball players, just seeing the ball go through the net can be enough to get a player going offensively. Thankfully, it seems Jovic got a much-needed confidence boost playing in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
“You were playing good,” Antetokounmpo told Jovic. “Translates very well in the NBA, too.”
Antetokounmpo, another foreign player, is familiar with FIBA and overseas play. Him showing confidence in Jovic is very important as this new Heat squad forms and bonds with one another.
Jovic has all the potential in the world, but his opportunities may be limited. Miami obviously knows what they have in the Serbian big by giving him a lucrative extension; now it is time for him to perform to the level he has proven to be able to.
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