The defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat have reportedly re-signed center Bam Adebayo to a five-year, $163 million extension according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The extension is a rookie maximum, the same as the ones Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, and Donovan Mitchell have received.
Adebayo is eligible for a rookie maximum contract — $163M with trigger for $195.6M — and Miami plans to sign him to the new deal, source says. https://t.co/4UCqLdLKLx
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 24, 2020
With the new extension, which has a trigger that could pay Adebayo $195.6 over the five years, Miami locks up one of the best big men in the league. The 23-year-old center blossomed into a defensive force with a skilled offensive repitoire that fits perfectly with the Heat. Adebayo averaged 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, all huge upticks from this first two seasons in the NBA. He was also named an All-Star last season and won the 2020 NBA Skills Competition, solidifying himself as one of the premier bigs in many different facets. Adebayo was critical in the Heat’s upset of the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA’s bubble playoffs.
As a big shot-blocker and true rim-runner, Adebayo will continue to play a big role in the Heat moving forward. The team also re-signed point guard Goran Dragic, another key component to the team’s impressive run to the Finals. Re-signing Bam Adebayo could probably have been done much sooner, but the Heat put it off to reportedly make sure they had cap space available to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo once he hits free agency. By signing agreeing to this extension the Heat do tie up their financials for the future, but, there is always a way to clear cap space. A Big Three of Jimmy Butler, Adebayo, and Antetokounmpo is certainly enticing, albeit unlikely. Heat President Pat Riley will continue to hunt stars, much like he did with Butler, so the possibility always exists.
