New Contract Will Bring New Scrutiny to Miami Heat Star Bam Adebayo's Offense

Zach Buckley | Jun 28, 2024

May 1, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) shoots against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) during the first quarter of game five of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

What kind of noise cancellation device can someone buy with $166 million?

Miami Heat star big man Bam Adebayo might want to look into that, because his latest payday will only increase the volume of scrutiny around his offensive development.

Adebayo reportedly intends to sign a three-year, $166 million maximum contract extension with Miami, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. That's all-caps SUPERSTAR coin, and plenty of people—Miami's main decision-makers, included—will think Adebayo is worth it.

Possessing unfair agility for a 6'9", 255-pounder and the inexhaustible energy befitting of a cornerstone for this franchise, Adebayo has a credible case in the best-defender debates. He can cycle through assignments from the paint to the perimeter without giving an inch, and when opponents test him at the rim, he can humble them in a hurry. (Just ask Jayson Tatum.)

Premium defense is worth a...well, premium, and some will argue that alone makes Adebayo worth such a massive investment.

Not all will share that sentiment, though. Some will still want to see more offensive output, which has featured just a single season of 20-plus points per outing and few hints of his ever possessing a serviceable outside shot. He is a tremendous finisher and a comfortable midrange shooter (career 43.4 percent from 10 to 16 feet, per Basketball-Reference.com), but those attributes don't always add up to consistent point production.

Maybe Miami is fine with that. Maybe it sees enough in what he brings as an all-purpose stopper, a quick-processing ball-mover, a solid screen-setter, an active glass-cleaner and a support scorer to just desire that he continues doing what he does best.

Then again, perhaps the Heat are hoping there's still room to grow his game. The difference between, say, the 19.3 points and 0.2 three-pointers he averaged this past season and something like 23 points and 1.0 triples could be massive. If Adebayo makes that kind of leap, maybe the offensive lulls that have so often plagued this group become a thing of the past. Maybe the idea of the Heat needing to add a third, offensive-minded star to the mix goes out the window, too.

Adebayo earned this pay raise. Let's be clear about that. He should just be prepared for the extra attention this new money will bring his way, because there is a new level of expectations now.