Bam Adebayo makes long-term commitment, signs max extension with Heat
Just one day after center Bam Adebayo was drafted by the Miami Heat with the 14th overall pick in 2017, team president Pat Riley made a bold prediction about the then-19-year-old’s future.
“One day, this jersey is going to be up in the rafters,” Riley said, helping hold up Adebayo’s new No. 13 Heat jersey while posing for photos during his introductory press conference.
Since then, Adebayo hasn’t disappointed with three NBA All-Star Game appearances in his first seven NBA seasons — all spent with the Heat. He has produced at a pace that would make him one of the greatest Heat players ever if he spends all or most of his career with the organization.
Adebayo doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon either, formally signing a three-year maximum contract extension worth about $166 million with the Heat on Saturday, according to a league source.
With two seasons remaining on Adebayo’s current contract, the new extension begins in the 2026-27 season and runs through the 2028-29 season when he’ll be 31 years old. The deal includes a player option in the final year for the 2028-29 season.
“Coming from where I come from, this isn’t an opportunity you take for granted,” Adebayo said after signing the extension in Las Vegas, where he’s taking part in Team USA’s training camp in preparation for his second Olympic appearance this summer. “You understand where you want to be. You understand what type of culture this is. And the head coach I have, you want to be a part of what he’s doing for as long as you can.”
Adebayo, who turns 27 on July 18, signed the max extension on the first day he was eligible to sign it this offseason. The NBA’s signing moratorium lifted Saturday at 12:01 p.m.
Under Adebayo’s current contract, he’s locked into a $34.8 million salary for the upcoming season and $37.1 million salary for the 2025-26 season before the extension begins.
Adebayo’s three-year extension then kicks in, featuring projected salaries of $51.2 million for the 2026-27 season, $55.3 million for the 2027-28 season and $59.4 million for the 2028-29 season.
Adebayo joins Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Pelle Larsson as the only Heat players currently under contract past the 2025-26 season. But Adebayo is the only one on a guaranteed deal, as Ware, Jaquez and Larsson all have team options in their contracts for the 2026-27 season.
Signing an extension this summer takes Adebayo out of the running for what could have been a much more lucrative supermax extension next offseason. Adebayo’s potential supermax extension would have been worth about $346.4 million over five years, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
To become eligible for a supermax extension next summer, Adebayo would have needed to either make an All-NBA team (first, second or third) this upcoming season, be named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year this upcoming season or be named the NBA MVP this upcoming season.
Even if Adebayo didn’t qualify for a supermax next offseason, he would have still been able to sign a bigger max extension — worth $229.3 million over four years — than the one he signed on Saturday.
But Adebayo opted not to wait, instead committing another chunk of his NBA career to the Heat this offseason.
Adebayo signed the extension while sitting alongside his mother, Marilyn Blount, and manager, Kevin Graves, in Las Vegas after practicing with Team USA on Saturday afternoon. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and Heat assistant general manager Adam Simon also sat next to Adebayo for that memorable moment.
“It’s a great day for Bam,” Spoelstra said. “It’s an amazing day for Heat Nation. It’s hard to do, in today’s day and age of pro sports, to be able to have continuity. And we believe in continuity and finding the right people and finding a way to keep them. And he’s earned it. He’s a caretaker now for this culture. He carries the baton, now and into the future. And it’s just really special to see that. I’ve treasured the time and I’m really appreciative that we have Bam.”
Adebayo averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and providing his usual elite defense this past regular season. He finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.
Adebayo was one of only seven NBA players who averaged at least 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game this past regular season, along with Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings.
In addition, Adebayo was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career this past season after being selected for the All-Defensive Second Team in each of the previous four seasons. Adebayo, who just finished his first season as the Heat’s captain, is the only player in franchise history to make one of the league’s All-Defensive teams in five different seasons while with Miami.
At Adebayo’s current pace, he and retired Heat icon Dwyane Wade could end up as No. 1 and No. 2 as the Heat’s all-time career leaders in categories like two-point field goals made, free throws made, assists, steals and points, among others. Adebayo also appears to be on his way to overtaking Udonis Haslem as the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder within the next five seasons.
While Adebayo got his max extension, his Heat co-star Jimmy Butler is not expected to sign one this offseason.
Starting Sunday, Butler is eligible to sign a maximum two-year contract extension worth about $113 million with the Heat. But after entering this offseason seeking that max extension, according to league sources, Butler now intends to play this upcoming season without signing an extension in hopes of getting a max contract next summer when he can bypass a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and become a free agent.
During their five seasons as the Heat’s leading duo, Adebayo and Butler have helped the Heat make three Eastern Conference finals appearances and two NBA Finals appearances. But Adebayo and Butler are both still working to win their first NBA championship.
This story was originally published July 6, 2024 at 7:03 PM.
