Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo’s effort to make the Team USA squad for the FIBA World Cup came to an end last week when he was released.
A new report adds a layer of mystery to that dismissal since the release is rumored to be related to matters off the court.
Heard a rumor that Bam's dismissal was not basketball related and it's getting harder to not think about it.
Don't ask me what the rumor is because I'm not going to address it. https://t.co/oN7kKJ2TSN
— Christian Hernandez (@BoutDameTime) August 16, 2019
Adebayo was released following the Team USA intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 9 along with Chicago Bulls forward Thaddeus Young. Other than noting the releases, no additional information was offered by Team USA, with Adebayo having been a late addition to the roster.
The potential prospect of the 22-year-old Adebayo having problems is something that the Heat front office and coaching staff would prefer not to think about. Having drafted him with the 14th overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Heat are looking him to take major steps in his third season in the league, especially following the departure of Hassan Whiteside.
Adebayo has career averages of 8.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, with all three of those averages seeing an uptick during his second season, when he played in all 82 games. In the final weeks of the 2018-19 season, he also took over the starting center role from Whiteside.
