“God gave Bam this talent,… and he can take it away: Today. Not tomorrow. Today. Don’t take things for granted.” That was Bam Adebayo’s mother on his basketball talent. He kept that talent, but this is set to be a testing campaign for the Miami Heat star as things are different this time. Entering his eighth year in the league, the former All-Star is set to embrace the role of the cornerstone for the Heat. While there’s no doubt that he’s one of the better players on this Heat roster, questions are raised about whether he can lead this team in the future.

Well, that’s tricky. Even though Adebayo has certainly proven that he is an All-Star-level player, he’s not the player who can lead the Miami Heat for the foreseeable future. In fact, if they want to contend for the championship once again, Pat Riley and Co. will have to bring in a bona fide superstar who can compete alongside Bam Adebayo. Even ESPN Insider Tim MacMahon shared this thought about the 28-year-old Heat superstar.

While chatting with Brian Windhorst about the franchise’s future, MacMahon expressed his thoughts about Miami viewing Adebayo as their long-term franchise player. “But they’ve got it, they’ve got to. They position themselves to make a play for their next superstar. Bam is an All-Star. He’s not a superstar. That’s a place that’s had success getting superstars over the years. They’re positioning themselves to take another big swing,” MacMahon suggested.

Yes, Bam Adebayo is a great player, but he’s not the solution for the void that Jimmy Butler’s exit has left. On the other hand, 22-year-old Serbian forward Nikola Jovic could be pivotal in the process. “(Nikola) Jovic is a guy who factors into that next phase of the Heat, either as a high-quality, complementary role player or, potentially, as a trade chip that’s included in a deal for a star. If it doesn’t end up happening, the free agency,” he further added.

Jovic can either be used as a spearhead piece to land Miami’s next superstar, or the youngster could become an impactful player for the franchise from the bench. Either way, Jovic is expected to be an important piece of the team’s future. Last season, even though the forward only suited up for 47 games, he had a breakthrough campaign, averaging 10.7 points per game despite injuries.

Not just that, Jovic also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. His impressive stat line from last season should give you an idea of just how much potential lies within the six-foot-ten forward. So, there’s no doubt that MacMahon has tipped him to be an extremely important player for the entire franchise’s future.

Interestingly, the ESPN analyst also revealed the real reason why we are going to see Nikola Jovic suit up for the Heat this season and not for another franchise.

Tim MacMahon reveals why Nikola Jovic is still part of the Miami Heat

Well, it’s no secret that the franchise’s front office was in the hunt for the next superstar this summer after Jimmy Butler’s ugly exit. So, to fill the void that Jimmy left, Pat Riley and Co. set their eyes on Kevin Durant, who was looking for a potential way out from the desert after back-to-back abysmal campaigns with the Suns. It was then that they tried to lure Phoenix in with the help of Jovic.

MacMahon suggested that the Heat front office had a choice to make: “Well, like you said, Brian, Jovic is on the team right now in part because the Heat did not go get Kevin Durant, right? Like to go back to the same conversation we’ve had about them a few times. They could have traded for Kevin Durant, but that would have required them to send out more draft picks.”

Either the Heat had to give up several of their assets, including Jovic, and land Kevin Durant, or stay low and build their roster with the pieces they have. While the Heat kept their assets and the Houston Rockets acquired Durant in a blockbuster trade, MacMahon revealed that if a deal between Miami and Phoenix was to be reached, Nikola Jovic would’ve been an important part of it.

Nonetheless, for now, Jovic is set to enter his fourth season with the Miami Heat and will be hoping this is the year where he truly explodes, as we await the new campaign.