A year ago, the Heat structured Nikola Jovic’s four-year, $62.4 million extension with a dip in the middle two years. It was a move meant to preserve cap flexibility for the 2027 and 2028 free agent classes, where Giannis Antetokounmpo could be among the prizes. Miami got its man earlier than planned. But ESPN’s Bobby Marks now says the same structure that was meant to open doors has left the Heat with little room to build around him.
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He reported that Antetokounmpo is “likely to extend his contract in either January or this summer,” but that adding players around the star big men could be challenging.
“It’s similar to Cleveland. Eventually, you just kind of run out of things,” Marks said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “They don’t have any tradable first-round picks, they can swap one year, their second-round picks are basically diminished, and the Jovic extension has turned into a disaster. It just leaves you with less to work with.”
The Jovic comment is the most specific part. When the extension was announced, the 22-year-old forward was coming off a season in which he averaged 10.7 points, and Erik Spoelstra said he was “becoming more mature, more professional.”
Marks now sees the contract as a burden, saying it limits Miami’s ability to find outside help. The sizable contracts he lists as potential trade matching include Andrew Wiggins, Jovic, Bobby Portis (if his option is exercised), Klay Thompson (if his option is exercised) and Pelle Larsson (starting July 1).
The extension is the easy part. Miami can lock Giannis Antetokounmpo into a future with the Heat, and it will still leave them short. Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo combine for more than 60 percent of the salary cap, which means the Heat have to manufacture trade salary they do not have, and no extension changes that math.
Marks’ Cleveland comparison is a warning about how top-heavy teams can stall. He noted that a failed win-now superstar trade can deplete draft capital and bring severe roster-building penalties, while repeated stalled playoff runs can create top-heavy teams that lack avenues to improve.
Miami is not in the same position as the Cavaliers, but the comparison suggests it could be heading that way if it cannot find upgrades.
The Jovic extension was meant to be a smart move. At the time, the staggered structure was seen as forward-thinking, giving the Heat extra flexibility in 2027 and 2028 and fitting their luxury tax situation. Marks’ view is that the contract did not work out as hoped, whether because of Jovic’s production or the cost.
The next few months will test the Heat. If Giannis Antetokounmpo extends in January, as Marks says is possible, the team will have the long-term foundation it wanted. But the roster around him must improve, and the Heat have limited tools to do it.