Miami Heat forward/center Nikola Jovic scored 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting in Serbia's 102-73 rout of Iceland on Friday in Group J of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The 23-year-old added three rebounds, two assists, and a plus-28 while outscoring Nikola Jokic, who finished with six points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Serbia improved to 5-2 in Group J, but Jovic's bigger issue remains his NBA role. He averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 17.2 minutes across 47 games last season while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from deep. Miami reshaped its frontcourt around Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and Bobby Portis, while Pelle Larsson is also pushing for perimeter minutes. Jovic needs a cleaner shooting camp before becoming more than a watch-list name.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic posted six points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and three steals in 23 minutes of Serbia's 102-73 win over Iceland on Friday in Group J of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The three-time MVP had reached 20 points in both of his previous 2027 qualifying appearances, so the quiet scoring night looks more like a blowout side effect than a concern. Serbia improved to 5-2 in Group J and closes the window Monday in Italy. Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists over 65 games last season, and the modest 23-minute workload is the encouraging piece here for managers tracking his summer mileage ahead of a Denver season that folds DeMar DeRozan into the offense.

Boston Celtics center Luka Garza recorded 10 points and seven rebounds in 15:49 as Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Italy 78-76 on Friday in Tuzla, the country's first win over the Italians in six meetings. The 27-year-old shared the frontcourt with Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic, who carried the load with 25 points on 11-for-19 shooting and 14 rebounds. The result keeps Bosnia's 2027 World Cup hopes breathing, though it does little to move Garza's NBA outlook. Boston signed Mitchell Robinson to a three-year deal and extended Neemias Queta this offseason, dropping Garza to third in the center rotation after he averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds last season. He stays off fantasy radars unless an injury opens the door ahead of him.

Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic carried Bosnia and Herzegovina to a 78-76 win over Italy in Friday's World Cup qualifier in Tuzla, posting 25 points and 14 rebounds on 11-for-19 shooting in just over 22 minutes. The 32-year-old had not played competitive basketball since February, when nose surgery ended his NBA season. Utah's frontcourt looks different this time around. Nurkic re-signed on a two-year, $22 million deal in June and projects as the starting center after the Jazz sent Walker Kessler to the Lakers, with Jaren Jackson Jr. slotting in beside him. Kyle Filipowski is the main threat to those minutes, though Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes across 41 games last season. That rebounding and passing floor makes him worth tracking as camp approaches.