Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo is nearing the end of his current contract, but extending the All-Star youngster may not be so simple.
The Heat are preparing to make a run at Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in free agency after the 2020-21 NBA season.
That complicates things for Adebayo’s extension as the Heat reportedly could bypass that option this offseason in order to land Antetokounmpo in the near future.
However, according to the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman, Adebayo will be in the loop as the Heat approach both his extension and Antetokounpo’s free agency.
“No, no, no, that’s not what anyone is saying,” Winderman began when replying to a fan’s insinuation that the Heat would not be paying Adebayo. “While an ESPN article about the NBA’s tough economic times mentioned how putting off Bam Adebayo’s rookie-scale extension this coming offseason looms as a possibility, it was more in the context of maximizing the Heat’s buying power on the 2021 free-agency market (also known as the summer of Giannis Antetokounmpo). But that doesn’t mean if Bam wants his now that the Heat will stonewall. They cannot let it get contentious, and won’t. The advantage is that Bam and Giannis share the same agent, so Bam effectively will be inside the loop on both ends. And while Dwyane Wade stands somewhat as an outlier, the Heat have largely come through for players they have asked to wait. Still, this is an economic climate like no other in NBA history, a time when the assurance of future guaranteed salary might trump all. So if Giannis were to extend with the Bucks this offseason, then it would leave the Heat in no position not to follow up in a similar extension manner with Bam. But it is not about saving money on the immediate payroll. There are far more layers to the machinations than that.”
Essentially, the Heat and Adebayo will be in the know regarding Antetokounmpo’s plans. This could certainly Help Miami devise a strategy to land the defending MVP.
The Heat and the Bucks could meet in the NBA playoffs this season, as the NBA is set to resume later this week.
