Door still open for Heat’s Nikola Jovic to play in Olympics — possibly vs. Bam Adebayo

The Nikola Jovic vs. Bam Adebayo matchup on the international stage has been put on hold, but there’s still a chance that the set of Miami Heat teammates could face off in the coming days.

That’s because Jovic is progressing in his recovery from a sprained left ankle/fractured toe and there’s a possibility that he’ll be ready to play in the Olympics for the Serbian national team, the Heat announced on Saturday. Jovic even returned to take part in Serbia’s pre-Olympic exhibition game against Japan.

But Jovic missed Serbia’s pre-Olympic exhibition loss to Adebayo and Team USA in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday because of his injuries. The Jovic vs. Adebayo matchup could still happen this summe, though, when Team USA and Serbia open the Olympics against each other on July 28 in Lille, France.

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“I think it would have been a great moment for me and Niko to play against each other,” Adebayo said to reporters in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday when asked about Jovic being held out of Serbia’s exhibition game against Team USA. “I’m definitely going to reach out to him, check up on him. I want him to get healthy because he’s on the good side. Need him to get healthy for the season.”

Jovic was injured last month during an on-court drill at Kaseya Center, prompting concern when he was photographed in a walking boot on his left foot. However, the injury has improved and the Heat expects Jovic to be ready and available for the start of training camp on Oct. 1.

Jovic, who turned 21 last month, closed his second NBA season as the Heat’s starting power forward. He flashed his impressive combination of size and skill at 6-foot-10 and 205 pounds after becoming the Heat’s full-time starting power forward in February, averaging 9.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from three-point range while starting his final 26 appearances this past regular season.

Jovic was also used as a starter in each of the Heat’s five playoff games this past season.

Jovic, who was drafted by the Heat with the 27th overall pick in 2022, was sidelined by a back injury for a large chunk of his rookie NBA season. But he missed just two games because of an injury this past season, sitting out a pair of games in March with a strained right hamstring.

As for Adebayo, he recorded four points, two rebounds and one steal in 16 minutes during Team USA’s narrow 101-100 exhibition win over South Sudan on Saturday in London, as Team USA rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to avoid the upset. Team USA is now 4-0 during its five-game exhibition schedule, which wraps up Monday against Germany in London before taking off for France for the start of the Olympics.

Adebayo, who is being used in a bench role on the national team, has averaged 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and one assist per game while shooting 63.6 percent from the field and 3 of 8 (37.5 percent) from three-point range through the first four exhibition games. Team USA has paired Adebayo with Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis in the second unit to form a frontcourt that has proven to be very effective so far, especially on defense.

“Watching film, talking things over, doing the small things in practice, we’re really trying to make it cohesive, make it flow,” Adebayo said of playing alongside Davis. “Feel like we’ve still got more, but we’re advancing right now.”