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5 NBA players who played well in FIBA warm-up games this week

By Andrew Bernucca

Apr 7, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after the Mavericks loss to the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) waves to the crowd as he walks off the court after the Mavericks loss to the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. (Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. (Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports) /

Could Nikola Jovic raise his trade value by playing well for Serbia at the FIBA World Cup this summer?

No Nikola Jokic, no problem. Just change one letter in the last name and Serbia still has a player ready to run coast-to-coast fastbreaks and be a menace all around the court in Nikola Jovic.

Jovic’s name has been in trade rumors ever since Portland Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard requested a trade to the Miami Heat, and before Jovic even stepped on the court for Serbia this summer it was easy to see why.

Selected 27th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jovic never became a regular rotation player for the Eastern Conference champions but at 6-foot-11 and with a very versatile and well-rounded game his future is bright.

Jovic and Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic are the two key players for Serbia at the tournament, and Jovic looks ready to showcase his skills. He had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in a warm-up game against Italy this week.

No matter where Jovic is playing next season, it seems likely that we’ll be seeing a lot more minutes for the young Serbian.

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