This is why the Miami Heat needs to ask Bam Adebayo to wait on a contract extension
You could easily make the case that no player drafted by the Miami Heat in the past decade is more worthy of a contract extension than Bam Adebayo, who becomes eligible for one this summer.
If the vagaries of the salary cap were not an issue, the Heat assuredly would give him one.
But as much as the Heat values Adebayo and wants to keep him long-term, giving him a multiyear extension this summer would be very damaging in the Heat’s efforts to lure Giannis Antetokounmpo or another star in 2021 free agency.
Here’s why: If the Heat this summer locks up Adebayo to a max contract (or something close to it) that he appears increasingly likely to command, his full salary would be on the Heat’s books for the 2021-22 season, thus drastically reducing Miami’s cap space in the summer of 2021.
But if the Heat doesn’t extend him this summer — and instead allows Adebayo to enter restricted free agency in the summer of 2021 — Miami could sign outside free agents first and then sign Adebayo to a new five-year deal in the 2021 offseason, with a cap charge of $15.3 million for that 2021-22 season regardless of what Miami pays him.
The $15.3 million cap charge for Adebayo if he waits on a Heat extension until the 2021 offseason would be his cap hold on the Heat’s books entering the summer of 2021 and would be significantly less than Miami’s 2021-22 cap charge for Adebayo if he signs an extension at the max or close to it this summer.
Keep in mind that players with no more than six years of service time can sign max contracts with a starting salary up to 25 percent of the cap. That salary is undetermined, because the cap is expected to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. But if the 2021-22 cap is, say $115 million, then Adebayo’s first-year max would be $28.7 million.
And the Heat obviously would benefit by having a $15.3 million Adebayo cap charge for 2021-22 instead of a $28.7 million charge. Adebayo would be paid the same regardless.
That’s why it’s incumbent upon the Heat to explain to Adebayo why he needs to wait on an extension, why his best chance of winning big would be enhanced if Miami has the cap space available to augment its Butler/Adebayo/Duncan Robinson/Tyler Herro/Kendrick Nunn young cast in 2021.
The expectation here is that Adebayo — who shares the same agent with Antetokounmpo (Chicago-based Alex Saratsis) — would understand and be amenable to that.
But there would be a bit of risk for Adebayo; any player is in jeopardy of sustaining a career-altering injury and Adebayo might prefer the security of an extension instead of going into the final year of a deal that will pay him $5.1 million next season, regardless of whether he signs an extension or not.
Nevertheless, with as much as the Heat loves him, and Adebayo’s affection for the Heat, there’s little reason to believe that Adebayo would reject the wait-until-2021 scenario, particularly if Miami makes clear to Saratsis that it views him as a max player.
And because he would be a restricted free agent, Miami would have the right to match any offer for Adebayo in the summer of 2021.
Adebayo is earning $3.4 million this season.
At the time that the season was suspended, Adebayo was on pace to join Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists before turning 23. Adebayo stands at 16.2, 10.5 and 5.1.
Heat president Pat Riley heaped lavish praise on Adebayo in a video recently released by the team.
“I’ve never met a man like this, a player, who was so respectful, had so much dignity, was such a team guy, that has grown to a point where he wants this responsibility,” Riley said. “And night in and night out, we see the best of the best.
“He reminds me a lot of Dwyane, in Dwyane’s attitude. Dwyane came in; he was a no-nonsense guy. He went right to work. And he became a great player. And he had an attitude and a competitiveness and a killer instinct, besides the talent. But he had this attitude that was above and beyond. I think that’s what Bam is. Bam possesses this attitude about doing it the right way and doing it every day.”
Riley wasn’t done.
“He’s a pleasure to coach,” Riley said of Adebayo. “And I think [Erik Spoelstra] has lit that into so much respect, that he has put him in position to be successful. And Bam has shown right back to Coach, that, ‘I really appreciate your level of trust in me and I’m going to deliver something for you big time.’ That’s how I look at Bam. He’s just an incredible human being.”
NBA UPDATE
Though nothing is definite, momentum continues to build for resumption of the season this summer, potentially in the Orlando and Las Vegas areas. Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry told CNBC that the NBA’s board of governors will meet again next week and that he believes “within the next six to eight weeks we should be playing.”
On Twitter, Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie mentioned July 15 as a potential resumption date.
▪ Heat president Pat Riley, on the passing of Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan on Friday: “It was a privilege to play against a Jerry Sloan coached team, I always knew that we would be severely tested. His overall philosophy on both sides of the ball was fundamentally solid and always one step ahead of the game.
“Loyalty was his badge of honor and his no nonsense approach to competition was perfect for the game. Jerry will go down in history as one of the most admired great winners and respected teachers of basketball ever. I am humbled and saddened by his passing.”
Sloan was a finalist for the Heat coaching job when the franchise launched; Ron Rothstein got the job instead.
▪ Andre Iguodala remains away from the Heat, living at his home in the Bay Area while participating in Zoom sessions with teammates.
“With the Miami Heat we have Zoom workouts four-five times a week and you have about eight or nine guys at least on there,” he told cnet.com. “We’re making do with the bikes, treadmills, some weights.”
And Iguodala said “I’ve gotten really creative in the front yard doing a lot of boxing workouts. You get the right trainer over a Zoom call and trainers are very creative. Their whole passion is to make you suffer so, you can get a good workout.”
▪ Udonis Haslem is holding a month-long digital sweepstakes “to address food insecurity for City of Miami residents experiencing job loss and economic need due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
People interested in participating can register at this web site.
Here’s my Monday piece on how the pandemic is likely to impact the Heat’s free agent plans.
Here’s my Tuesday Heat 6-pack.
This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 1:31 PM.
