ASK IRA: Is Bam Adebayo at the maximum a sign of Heat’s ultimate valuation?
Q: Ira, you made a big deal that Bam Adebayo didn’t wait for a supermax extension. But you downplayed that he still is signing for a maximum extension. Tell us again, sir, how he is a max player, worthy of 30 percent of the entire salary-cap of a 15-player team? – Steve.
A: Because, um, that’s the way of the NBA world. The problem with the league establishing maximum salaries, be they standard max deals or supermax, is that there is a set figure to target, instead of a negotiable middle ground And that becomes the number players ask for, even if they are not necessarily in the, so to speak, NBA 1%. It is similar to Jaylen Brown previously receiving the league’s largest extension. Plus, the 30% figure on Bam Adebayo’s extension is a bit misleading, with that the percentage of the soft salary cap, of which almost all teams exceed, anyway. In the end, Bam accepting the max instead of pushing for the supermax winds up as an acceptable middle ground – the Heat locking up a player long term, but also not having to go to the ultimate limit for a player yet to make All-NBA. Still surprised that Bam, as usual, didn’t again bet on himself. But this leaves it as a goodwill deal on both ends.
Q: If Jimmy Butler does really want to stay with the Heat all he has to do is copy what Dwyane Wade did – take less money with the demand this year to bring in players that will put us in the running for a championship. He would look like the hero and all the chatter would stop. That puts all the pressure on the Heat and if they don’t, well he can opt out next year. – Brian.
A: Jimmy Butler isn’t interested in looking like a hero (except when it comes to attempting buzzer-beating 3-pointers at the ends of two-point games). He already has ample support staff offering ample adulation. What he wants is every dollar he believes he deserves. So, no, I don’t see him taking a haircut contractually, or even giving up money in favor of years. So now he simply plays out the season, opts into 2025-26 free agency, and gets his money then. And the one area he remains resolute is that he will get his money, all of his money.
Q: Ira, I find it interesting we’re debating the second-round pick when the Heat don’t even value them. – Andy.
A: Like many elements of the NBA’s ever-changing universe and added elements in the latest collective-bargaining agreement, I believe if the Heat knew then what they know now, there would have been a different approach than sending out so many second-round picks to get off of salary. It’s sort of like the bonus Tyler Herro has in his contract for Defensive Player of the Year. It’s a bonus that won’t ever have to get paid, but one that under the new CBA counts every season toward the calculation of salary-cap aprons.