The Miami Heat have always been able to lure free agents thanks to all that South Beach has to offer. The likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Jimmy Butler have signed with the team in the past, allowing Miami to consistently be contenders.
The Heat’s star center, Bam Adebayo, told the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman for a story published January 31 that he hoped to be able to help the team land free agent stars in the future.
“It depends, it depends,” he told Winderman when asked whether he would actively recruit for the franchise. “I don’t know how to answer. But for the greater good of the team, if we needed this one guy, I’d reach my hand out because it’s for the greater good of the team, and I’d want to make that situation better.”
Adebayo stressed that any recruitment he did would be in the franchise’s best interest, rather than his just wanting to play with a friend.
“So, for me,” he said, “it would be if it results in winning, and not, ‘Oh, we just want to be on a team just so we can play together.”
He again stressed the importance of team success.
“No, I’m not built off of that. I’m built off of if you’re going to buy in, buying in to win and see some greater good than you see in your previous situation, then yes, I’m there for that.”
Heat’s Bam Adebayo Sheds Light on Donovan Mitchell Recruitment
Countering speculation that Donovan Mitchell was being recruited by Adebayo last summer before he eventually was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Adebayo cleared the air about his relationship with his Miami Pro League teammate.
“The media saw that and magnified that,” Adebayo told Winderman. “To me, it was just playing with one of my best friends.”
Adebayo said Mitchell never mentioned to him any interest in joining him on the Heat for 2022-23.
“The connection with him wasn’t even trying to recruit,” he stressed. “If he wanted to be here, he would have said that. And that’s the bottom line. I respect the fact that he was up front during the process.”
Even if the former Utah Jazz star had wanted to take his talents to South Beach, he wasn’t a free agent. The decision was ultimately left to Utah CEO Danny Ainge.
“I don’t think the way it happened was in his control, anyway,” Adebayo added.
Heat Urged to Trade Duncan Robinson for Added Depth
Adebayo’s teammate, Duncan Robinson, has been another player who’s been included in trade rumors.
In a January 30 Bleacher Report article, Zach Buckley highlighted one player that each NBA team should look to trade before the deadline. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Miami was tasked with moving Robinson and his big salary.
“What value is Duncan Robinson providing?” Buckley wrote. “He’s not simply having a brutal season for a $16.9 million player. This is a bad year by any measure. The shooting specialist is converting just 36.8 percent of his field goals and 33.1 percent of his threes. His minus-4.8 box plus/minus ranks 301st among the 304 players who have logged 500-plus minutes this season.”
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Bam Adebayo Unveils Possibility of Bringing NBA Stars to Heat This Summer