Miami Heat of America fast-rising Nigerian-born centre, Bam Adebayo is hugging headlines on the transfer lane, with attention of a trade switch coming his way from his team’s National Basketball Association (NBA) rivals, Boston Celtics, megasportsarena.com reports.
While most attention for now is placed on the NBA play-offs that began on Monday, another major talking point courtside is whether Adebayo will leave Miami for Boston at the end of the ongoing end-of-season campaign in The Bubble, at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Adebayo’s immediate future has become a major issue to ponder over, following recent news that Miami Heat are not planning on extending a contract extension for him, and many experts of the game in God’s Own Country reckon that could pave way for a move to Boston for him.
However, there is still a lingering question of whether The Celtics will be able to land the center in a trade for Adebayo, who was averaging 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game before coronavirus forced to league to go on break for almost five months.
The next few weeks will reveal if The Celtics will achieve their goals and hook Adebayo, who has to take his already impressive game to the next level in order to average 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
The first-time NBA All-Star admits he spent some of his free time watching tapes of many great basketball players that have come before him, so that he can improve his chances of reaching his inspiring goals, but two of the league’s biggest experts believe it takes more than talent to hit a major deal from one franchise to another.
One of the experts, Andrew Hughes posited: “If Daniel Theis won’t suffice, perhaps Danny Ainge should kick the tires on how much it would cost to land Bam Adebayo–who Brian Windhorst strongly suggested would not be the recipient of a max-contract extension. That’s a storyline that I can almost guarantee for you: Bam Adebayo will not sign a contract extension.
“Now, the true reason Miami would be hesitant to sign him to a deal is that their eyes are locked on Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021 free agency…not because they want to actively deal him. If the Boston Celtics were to pursue him, though, what would a deal look like? There’s a couple of different key points to touch on here.
“Marcus Smart is a nice starting point, but with him, you will need to include several of the aforementioned players as well as draft stock. Losing such a key contributor for Boston stings, but so does committing much of your future draft capital and eventually your cap space for Adebayo with such little second unit depth.
“Jaylen Brown would be a better option to deal, assuming his value is more in line with Adebayo’s. Brown isn’t yet an All-Star, but he isn’t far behind and already got an extension…one that should be less than Bam’s because of the latter’s All-Star berth in 2020.
“Adebayo would bring parity to the lineup and such a deal would promote Smart into the starting lineup. That said, Brown has proven more in the postseason and could eventually have a higher ceiling. Ainge shouldn’t let go of Brown in this scenario.
“Finally, there is the Hayward question. Hayward, like Adebayo, is due for a new contract in 2021 (assuming he opts into the $34 million he’s owed for 2020-21) but is likely looking at around the same or higher value for his next cap figure.
“If that is the case, Adebayo – at 23-years old – is a more prudent investment than the 30-year-old Hayward. Now, to facilitate a deal, the $29 million difference in contract values for 2020-21 would have to be made up by the Heat dealing several contracts back Boston’s way.
“Andre Iguodola’s $15 million cap figure would work, as would Kelly Olynyk‘s $12 million player option he is unlikely to turn down. Given the players coming in, the C’s would likely have to send out some or all of their upcoming 2020 draft picks. Adebayo is worth giving up non-lottery selections.”
SB Nation basketball writer, Michael Pina added: “Adebayo’s peak is an enticing question. Instead of tracking towards an established archetype, he may be something altogether more intriguing: an evolutionary frolic into basketball’s next frontier.
“When he first heard the Heat had included Hassan Whiteside in the four-team trade that brought Jimmy Butler to Miami, Adebayo knew he was about to take on a much bigger role. He sat down with Spoelstra several times to discuss how it would look, and in one meeting disclosed that his top personal goal was to win Most Improved Player.
“The Heat had no serious doubts about Adebayo becoming a major part of their next great team—after last year’s All-Star break, he held his own in Miami’s starting lineup — but they were nonetheless unsure how he’d handle nearly 10 more minutes of playing time per game, especially as a greater focal point in opposing scouting reports.
“John Calipari, Adebayo’s head coach at Kentucky, remembers a conversation he had with Heat president Pat Riley over the summer. Adebayo’s defense is a literal game changer. In a recent overtime win against the Toronto Raptors, he wiped Pascal Siakam off the face of the Earth, holding the defending champ to zero made baskets while covering him.
“Not only does Adebayo stand out as one of a select few who can actually switch 1-through-5 without embarrassing himself, but his nimble yet violent offensive skillset blurs the lines of what a center can be. He personifies positionless basketball with moves that don’t need context to make your jaw drop.
“So far this season, the Heat couldn’t ask for more. At 22, with his first All-Defensive team around the corner, Adebayo is averaging 15.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. (He recorded his first triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 10.)
“On a per-minute basis, all those numbers are up from last season, along with his usage rate and field goal percentage. The only players in NBA history to average at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists while making more than 59 percent of their shots are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Charles Barkley.
“Adebayo also draws more fouls per game than LeBron James, Ben Simmons, and Andre Drummond, and ranks in the NBA’s top-20 in free-throw attempts, rebound rate, steals, blocks, field-goal percentage, Value Over Replacement Player, Win Shares, and several other metrics, advanced and remedial, that suggest he’s made the leap.
“Adebayo’s candidacy for Most Improved Player is valid in a crowded field. More important than that, he will make the All-Star team if the Heat continue to win. Right now they’re 18-6, with the point differential of a 54-win team, per Cleaning the Glass. Adebayo never expected this type of attention so early in his career, but he’s embracing it.”
Adebayo submitted: “I’m a person, and everybody wants to be an all-star. Nobody wants to just be a role-player. I’ve thought about it. But the number one goal is to keep winning, so I’m more focused on that than being an all-star, honestly.
“You can’t just be one of those guys where the whole league knows what you are and categorizes you as that and you accept that. I want to be one of those guys who expands his zone. Kind of like what Kawhi did.”
