The NBA’s 2025-26 season is introducing a quirky twist that could calmly reshape Nikola Jokic’s stat sheet. As reported by Shams Charania, unsuccessful end-of-period heaves, those desperation, end-of-quarter, full-court bombs, will now count as a missed team field goal, not an individual miss. For the uninitiated, a “heave” is exactly what it sounds like: a long-range shot taken with little chance of going in, usually at the buzzer to close a quarter or half.

And who better to benefit than Jokic, a man who doesn’t just pass, rebound, and score, but has also perfected the occasional miracle chuck. Nuggets analyst Swipa on X confirmed that Jokic shot 22 heaves in the regular season and 8 in the playoffs last year. If this rule had been active, Jokic’s numbers would have jumped to 44.6% from three in the regular season (4.14 attempts per game) and 42.8% in the playoffs (5.1 attempts per game). But it’s not just percentages.

True shooting, the holistic measure of efficiency, sees a boost, too. Regular reason’s TS would rise to 67.22%, while playoff TS jumps to 60.27%. For a player whose offensive game is as intricate as the Joker’s, that’s a meaningful uptick. The rule changes how coaches and statisticians will view Jokic’s impact. Long-range desperation shots, previously penalizing his efficiency metrics, will now be team-weighted. It’s the kind of adjustment that turns Jokic’s unique shooting quirks into a legitimate advantage. In essence, Denver’s star can take riskier shots without self-inflicted statistical penalties.

This rule tweak arrives as Jokic enters year 3 of his contract. The 30-year-old center is under a deal that runs through 2027-28, worth $276 million, and his marketability only grows as his statistical profile shines. With the heave rule, Jokic can afford to be more audacious in late-quarter situations. It’s also a subtle shift in how defenses might approach him.

As his Nuggets HC David Adelman put it, “Most great shooters care about their stats… For Nikola to shoot the percentage he shoots and still shoot those [heaves]—because there’s a chance it goes in and wins the game—shows how unselfish he is.”

Previously, opponents could gamble that a last-second heave wouldn’t disrupt Jokic’s metrics. Now, those shots carry no personal statistical risk, possibly tempting defenses to press harder early in possessions, knowing Jokic has a safe out at the buzzer. For context, Jokic isn’t just a deep-threat passer or post-scoring machine. Because now comes the 3-point dynamic.

Nikola Jokic’s penchant for miracle shots reached new heights in 2024. On January 4 against the Golden State Warriors, he buried one of the wildest game-winners of his career—a 39-foot banked three with just 0.2 seconds left, capping a furious Nuggets rally from 18 points down. The shot sealed Denver’s 130–127 victory and added yet another surreal chapter to Jokic’s legend. He finished the night with 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists—nearly another triple-double. According to tracking data, it stood as the fourth-longest game-winning shot in NBA history.

The Serbian maestros 3-point arsenal has been rewriting the narrative on what a center can do from deep. On a night against the Charlotte Hornets, he turned desperation into art, firing a 50-foot heave off the backboard that capped a career-high 14 three-point attempts in a single game. He sank six of them, brushing against his personal best. Yet that last wild heave, the kind that makes statisticians groan, illustrates a key point that Jokic’s efficiency metrics have long been penalized for these full-court, low-percentage shots.

Nikola Jokic’s numbers could soar under the new heave rule

The man doesn’t care about padding numbers. He rather plays for the moment, the team, and sometimes, sheer spectacle. If the NBA were to strip these heaves from individual stats, a tweak long overdue, it would elevate Jokic to the league’s undisputed 3-point leader.

Currently sitting fourth in percentage at 44.9%, removing the statistical “penalty” of his desperate buzzer attempts would vault him to 48.6%, ahead of Memphis’ Luke Kennard. That’s an architectural shift in perception. Every heave becomes a pressure-free chance, and every made triple tells a story of unorthodox mastery.

And more than just numbers, Jokic’s adaptability has made him a three-time MVP, one of the most versatile centers in history, and undoubtedly an eventual Hall-of-Famer. Now, the heave rule gives him another arrow in his quiver, one that enhances entertainment value, team dynamics, and personal efficiency simultaneously.

From practice to playoffs, Jokic’s engagement with heaves has been consistent. Footage shows him refining his long-range throws with teammates offering support, while the coaching staff tracks trajectory and spin. This dedication signals he’ll likely embrace the new rule to enhance both personal stats and team strategy. With the new heave rule in play, Jokic is also fortifying his MVP case.

Those risk-free full-court shots could nudge his efficiency higher, making him an even more lethal weapon for the Denver Nuggets down the stretch. Combine that with his unique versatility, and Nuggets fans have every reason to imagine a playoff run where Jokic’s audacity and stats rewrite both the record books and the narrative around the league’s premier leading man.

Will these heaves become a hallmark of his season or just an interesting footnote in analytics discussions? Either way, the stage is set, and Jokic stands ready, with full-court flair and a new advantage in hand.