Getty Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
This year hasn’t been an easy one for the Miami Heat. Injuries have riddled their season thus far, but even when they’ve been healthy, they haven’t lived up to expectations. As things stand, they sit at 20-18 on the season and are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
With how poorly they’ve played, some have speculated that they could hit the trade market. However, sources who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports indicate that they have shut down all calls about Bam Adebayo. That being said, the source also revealed an inner frustration with Adebayo.
“As far as I know, anyone calling on Bam is getting shut down immediately,” an Eastern Conference GM told Deveney. “They’re not going in that direction. But you know, at the same time, there is some frustration within the team that he is not the consistent star they think he should be. When he is aggressive and playing like he thinks he’s the best guy on the floor, forget it, he is a Top 10 or 15 player. You just don’t get that version of him game in and game out. Trading him though, that is off the table.”
Throughout the course of his six-year career with Miami, Adebayo has struggled a bit with consistency. He hasn’t been the dominant star Miami knows he can be night in and night out, and when he’s not aggressive, it can hurt the team.
The big man has put together a solid season for the Heat so far, and his top-notch potential is one of the main reasons he’s not being thrown in trade rumors. Adebayo has appeared in 34 of the team’s 38 games and is playing 35.2 minutes per contest. He’s averaging 21.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 53.9% shooting from the field and 10.0% shooting from behind the three-point line.
Heat Faced With Choice Between Butler & Herro
While the Heat have clearly made up their mind on a future with Adebayo, they could have a decision to make between Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. A Heat fan asked Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel about which player should be taking the closing shots in games.
Winderman said that the choice will be based on what is needed at the moment.
“But it still comes down to what you need,” Winderman explained. “In transition, I would take Tyler Herro. For a 3-pointer, Tyler Herro again. But if one or two points would be the difference in a halfcourt set, then Jimmy Butler would remain a preferred option with his ability to get to the foul line, and, frankly, draw more of a veteran whistle. There is nothing wrong with having multiple such options for multiple such situations. And the best part with both Jimmy and Tyler is that each is willing to defer.”
Heat Could Trade Duncan Robinson
Adebayo may be off-limits in trade talks, but that doesn’t mean everyone on the Heat is. According to other sources who spoke to Deveney, Miami could look to trade Duncan Robinson, and the Dallas Mavericks are a potential landing spot.
“And Dallas is a team that had an interest (in Robinson), maybe they will again,” an East executive told Deveney. “If they were to swap out Robinson for Davis Bertans with the Heat getting a draft pick, Miami could use the pick in another deal. Robinson is a better player and might get himself back on track playing with Luka. Bertans has a shorter deal (three years, with Robinson’s deal going four years). It would work out for everyone if the Heat can get another player for the pick,” an Eastern Conference executive told Deveney.