After a surprising championship run in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Miami Heat President Pat Riley will have a lot to decide for during the offseason, especially with regards to the contract of their rising star in big man Bam Adebayo.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra also spoke highly of the former Kentucky product which emerged as a pivotal player for the team after becoming an All-Star and All-Defensive second-teamer in 2019:
“Bam is one of the great competitors already in this association,” Spoelstra said after the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals. “He's really going into a leadership role. Way beyond his years. His offensive game is just growing daily. And he wants the responsibility, and he wants the accountability, and he isn't afraid of putting that responsibility on his shoulders.”
According to ESPN, an extension for Adebayo could come in complicated terms. Before the coronavirus halted the NBA and eventually disrupted the league's economic growth, the Heat was projected to have around $50 million in cap space in 2021. Miami could have extended Adebayo at a max salary and also had more than $37 million in cap room, good enough to sign another max player.
Now, after accounting for Adebayo's $15.4 million free-agent hold and a possible salary cap of $109.1 million, the Heat now only project to have $34 million in cap room. It is still good enough for a max player, but only if Adebayo's contract is not extended.
If the Heat were to extend him, the $34 million in cap space would shrink to $22.5 million. The Heat could get to $31.3 million but would need to deal away rookie Tyler Herro and their 2020 first-round pick and not sign soon-to-be free agents in Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn.
The Heat will not be at fault if they do elect to extend Adebayo to a max contract. However, they will most likely be limited come the summer of 2021 when big names are already up for grabs in free agency.
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