The Miami Heat will have some decisions to make this offseason, whenever that is. The most important one is regarding a possible extension for Bam Adebayo.
The Miami Heat put forth the most overachieving NBA playoffs performance in recent history in the Orlando bubble, crushing their way through the Eastern Conference Finals before being stopped in six games by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. A big part of that surprise performance was Bam Adebayo, and it’s soon going to be time for the Heat to pay up for that showing.
Adebayo is extension-eligible this coming offseason and has earned a big payday. As perhaps the second-best player on the Miami Heat this season and through the playoffs, he made just $3.45 million, and he’ll make just $5.1 million next season if no extension is offered or accepted.
The biggest argument for not offering him an extension is that the Heat want to keep cap space available in order to go after Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer of 2021. A big extension for Adebayo can only complicate matters, although Jimmy Butler and Andre Iguodala have the only big contracts on the book that summer and Iguodala’s $15 million salary is a team option that can be declined for additional savings.
The Heat are an organization that doesn’t believe it needs to have cap space in order to get big-ticket free agents, however. Like in the case of Jimmy Butler, sometimes a sign-and-trade is all you need, and the Heat do have assets that they could use if that’s what is needed to get Giannis in 2021.
According to Pat Riley, Adebayo’s contract situation could get “dicey”.
"“We know we have a decision to make, Bam has a decision to make, and we do with him. It’s gonna be a little bit dicey for us because we want that flexibility. We have to take care of our own as much as we can but we can’t give up that flexibility.”"
It’s a complicated situation. Take care of your own and risk missing out on the biggest free agent in years, or forego paying Adebayo for his superb performance just for a chance to talk to Antetokounmpo, and thus risk disgruntling him?
Heat legend and two-time champion Chris Bosh recently weighed in on the topic as well on Complex’s Load Management podcast, and he’s firmly in Bam’s camp.
"“If it’s me in the GM’s chair, I’m locking Bam up right away. Will be no thoughts, nothing necessary. You can put that to the side. There’s always a way to figure out cap space. You can concentrate on getting as far into the salary cap as you can. Probably have a trade scenario in my pocket. Just in case there’s a sign-and-trade opportunity.”“If it’s me in the GM’s chair, I’m locking Bam up right away. Will be no thoughts, nothing necessary. You can put that to the side. There’s always a way to figure out cap space. You can concentrate on getting as far into the salary cap as you can. Probably have a trade scenario in my pocket. Just in case there’s a sign-and-trade opportunity.”"
It’s a good problem to have, in a way. But nevertheless, the Heat are going to have to figure out a solution to the problem, and unless Bam Adebayo himself wants to defer money down the road in a pandemic where the NBA itself has an uncertain financial future, he should go get that money now and let Pat Riley figure out how to get the superstar to South Beach.