The Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo have been through a lot together.
He was the 14th overall pick in 2017 and has been with the Heat ever since, through ups and downs and plenty of growth in his game.
But there's coming a key pivot point that might make it time to trade Adebayo.
The Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman writes that the Heat should try Adebayo.
Why?
This is the final season before Adebayo's massive contract extension kicks in.
The Heat will owe him $51 million for the 2026-27 season.
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Adebayo will be 29 before that $51 million season begins. His timeline may start to clash with the rest of the Heat's roster.
Things could change if Bam leads Miami to the top of the East in surprising fashion in 2025-26. But if it's not trending that way, Winderman makes a strong case.
Adebayo is a bit of a unique player, a 6-foot-9 playmaking center and defensive whiz. He's certainly a guy you can build around, but it also takes some work to design a system that best incorporates Bam.
It'd be a tricky valuation in a trade for that reason and for the big money Bam is still owed, but it seems likely that someone would want him.
Will a trade happen? It's too early to tell. But it's worth keeping an eye out for.
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