Bam Adebayo has committed to four more seasons on his contract with the Miami Heat. Despite this deal, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins believes the elite defensive center will play his final season in a Heat jersey in 2025-26.
The Miami Heat had a rocky few seasons after appearing in the NBA Finals in 2023 and 2020. Jimmy Butler, the star player at the time, is no longer with the team, so other players will need to step up. Thankfully for Heat fans, Bam Adebayo is still with the team.
Adebayo committed his long-term future to the team in July 2024 by signing a contract extension that will keep him in Miami through the 2028-29 season. Adebayo is dealing with injuries ahead of the 2025-26 season, and an injury to Tyler Herro that will keep him out for the first few weeks of the season could further hurt the team’s chances.
Unfortunately, the Heat haven’t performed as well as people expected. This has led analysts to question Adebayo’s future. Kendrick Perkins in particular has been vocal about his feeling that Adebayo will be leaving Miami sooner or later.
As Miami’s star center, Adebayo is under pressure to lead his team to more success. He’s been extremely important to the Heat, especially in their run to the Finals over the past five years.
Unfortunately, Butler’s departure means he will now have to prove that he is a star player on the team. Herro has emerged as the No. 1 option, but Adebayo remains the most impactful player on both sides of the floor. The stars know something is afoot in the Heat’s long-term plans under team president Pat Riley.
Adebayo struggled offensively in 2024-25, scoring 18.1 points per game, his lowest scoring average since 2019-20. His impact on defense is still impressive, but the Heat will be even better if he’s effective offensively.
That has led some to theorize that he could be forced to leave because the Heat aren’t maximizing his skill set. Some are considering the idea of trading Adebayo to another team in the league.
“Bam Adebayo won’t be wearing a Miami Heat jersey at the end of this year. I believe he won’t finish the season in Miami. I believe the time has come. I’ve seen what this (Kael) Ware kid is doing. Miami is far from a playoff team,” Perkins said on Road Trippin’.
“I don’t want to doubt Erik Spoelstra, but their roster stinks. Bam is at a point where he needs to join the contenders.”
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the NBA community’s overall opinion of the Heat is not very high. Despite this, Heat players want to succeed and will work hard to make it happen. The Heat are still led by the league’s longest-tenured coach, Erik Spoelstra.
With elite coaching and a talented group of players, the Heat can surprise people. They have talent and tactics. It’s time to implement them. Of course, injuries have hurt their chances of getting off to a strong start, but other players have to step up.
Kelel Weah, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and new signing Norman Powell could all step up. It’s time for Spoelstra to take the reins, challenge his players and lead this team to victory. If the Heat can continue their success, they won’t have to worry about Perkins’ prediction of Adebayo’s departure.