Bam Adebayo expects to be available when the Miami Heat begin the 2026-27 regular season Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Kaseya Center, offering an encouraging update after a groin issue kept him out of the team’s final two preseason games.
Adebayo returned to practice Sunday and addressed the decision to sit out those exhibitions. He acknowledged wanting to play while explaining that the team had taken a cautious approach.
“Just play it smart,” said Adebayo. “Obviously, I want to be out there. But it’s one of those things where they try to save me from myself.”
He then offered his expectation for the opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Other than that, I should be ready to go Wednesday.”
That is a positive change from the uncertainty surrounding his availability last week, although it remains Adebayo’s expectation rather than an announcement that he has been cleared to play. His progress gives Miami a chance to begin the season with him alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo after their preseason preparation ended separately.
The practice news extended beyond Adebayo. The team said every player did some work Sunday.
Bam Adebayo (groin) back at practice today for Heat. Team says everyone did something at practice. Opener Wednesday vs. visiting Timberwolves.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) October 18, 2026
That description does not establish that everyone completed a full session, but it is encouraging for a roster that also has been managing Dru Smith’s calf injury and Pelle Larsson’s illness.
Bam Adebayo returns after missing Heat’s final two exhibitions
Adebayo’s right groin tightness sidelined him against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and the Orlando Magic on Friday. As Heat Nation reported before the preseason finale, he stayed in Miami instead of making the trip to Orlando.
Erik Spoelstra had previously indicated that he was not especially worried about the problem. Sunday’s combination of practice participation and Adebayo’s own comments provides a more concrete sign of progress than that earlier assessment alone.
The distinction between the two stars’ absences Friday also matters. Adebayo was dealing with the groin issue, while Miami held Antetokounmpo out of the exhibition.
Their absence from the same game did not reflect matching injury situations.
Bobby Portis Jr. started at center and Nikola Jovic started at forward, joining Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. Miami had used Nick Richards next to Antetokounmpo against Brooklyn while Adebayo was unavailable.
Those games gave Spoelstra looks at alternatives, but neither arrangement included the Adebayo-Antetokounmpo partnership that the Heat are preparing to feature.
Adebayo’s return would allow the coach to evaluate those reserve big men around the intended starting frontcourt instead of using the exhibitions primarily to cover its absences.
Dru Smith resumes work after losing the preseason
Smith’s situation carries a different preparation cost. The guard did not appear in any preseason games after injuring his right calf during training camp, and his participation in practice was confirmed, although the extent of his work was unclear.
Earlier this month, Smith explained that the injury happened while he was making a back cut. He described the initial news as relatively encouraging compared with the more serious setbacks he had experienced, even though the interruption came at a frustrating point in his preparation.
Spoelstra described the calf problem as minor and emphasized the value of Smith’s offseason development work. The coach also identified several ways to organize the offense during his absence, including using Adebayo and Antetokounmpo to initiate possessions.
That connects Sunday’s developments in the frontcourt and backcourt. A healthy Smith would give Miami another guard option behind Mitchell, while Adebayo would restore one of the experienced playmakers Spoelstra had specifically identified as an alternative to relying exclusively on the guards.
Ryan Conwell used the exhibition opportunities to make his own case. Against Orlando, he produced 21 points and seven assists in 29 minutes, shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Smith’s return therefore comes with a basketball decision as well as a health question. Spoelstra has seen Conwell handle a substantial preseason workload, but he has not yet had an exhibition opportunity to compare that performance with Smith’s work in the same new group.
Pelle Larsson’s illness also interrupted Miami’s guard preparation
Larsson participated Sunday as well. His illness had affected both his availability for games and his ability to practice consistently.
In Heat Nation’s Oct. 13 coverage, Larsson described headaches that had persisted for about a week. He had reached a morning without a headache and done some practice work, but the subsequent absences showed that his preparation was still being disrupted.
Before that interruption, Larsson had been among the players considered for additional ball-handling responsibility while Smith recovered.
Getting both guards back into practice gives Miami a chance to resume that evaluation before the regular season rather than continuing to work around two unavailable perimeter options.
Heat turn from preseason experiments to opening night
Miami finished its exhibition schedule 3-2 after the loss in Orlando. Spoelstra’s assessment afterward remained positive despite the result.
“These last 20 days have been very productive for our basketball team. I’m encouraged in the direction we’re going,” Spoelstra said Friday.
The next step is deciding how much of that group will be available against Minnesota. Sunday’s reporting offered no individual workload details for Smith or Larsson, and Adebayo’s comments did not address a possible minutes restriction.
For now, the most significant development is that Adebayo is practicing again and expects to play.
His return would let Miami open the regular season with both frontcourt stars, while the progress of Smith and Larsson will help determine how many backcourt choices Spoelstra has around them.
