The Miami Heat wasn’t able to flip its usual switch this spring. After landing the No. 8 seed through the play-in tournament, Erik Spoelstra’s group earned a date with the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
But with Jimmy Butler sidelined with an MCL injury, it took a record-setting barrage of threes for Miami to even win one game before exiting the postseason earlier than it had hoped.
Now, an offseason full of questions lies ahead, none of which were quieted by Team President Pat Riley during his end-of-season press conference. Butler’s future with the franchise is uncertain. He’s repeatedly stated he wants to remain with the Heat, but he’s also seeking a two-year max contract extension that Riley said he’s not ready to discuss.
Miami has already found itself embroiled in the drama of summer star chasing again. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has been linked with a move to South Beach if he decides to force an exit from the Midwest.
But there may be at least one sure thing coming for the Heat.
Miami Heat could try to extend Bam Adebayo this offseason
Quietly buried beneath the Butler and Mitchell news has been Adebayo. With Butler turning 35 before next season and no other true franchise player on the roster, Bam will likely be the centerpiece of the team’s next iteration, and it sounds like Miami is ready to lock him up long-term, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald:
As a foundational piece for the Heat who is still a few years away from turning 30, the expectation is that Adebayo will receive a lucrative extension from the organization this offseason to keep him in Miami for years to come.
He stopped short of confirming a desire to extend Adebayo, but Riley was effusive in his praise of the 26-year-old big man, per Clutchpoints:
His growth spurt from his rookie year to what he is right now has been off the chart. … Bam has to look at his game and sit with Coach and how can he get better and expand his game but he’s at a point right now where you know he’s an all-NBA player and we’re happy to have him.
Adebayo is one of the best defensive centers in the league, finishing in the top five of Defensive Player of the Year voting each of the past five seasons. His offensive game continues to grow, and if the Heat is ready to offer him a new deal, it appears that it’s comfortable moving forward with Bam as the post-Butler franchise cornerstone.
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