Former Kentucky Wildcat Bam Adebayo signed a three-year $166 million dollar extension with the Miami Heat on Wednesday afternoon, with the deal being made public hours before the beginning of the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Heat possess the No. 15 pick in the Draft after finishing the 2023-24 season 46-36, entering the NBA Play-In Tournament and qualifying for the first round of the NBA playoffs where it lost in five games to the eventual NBA champions, the Boston Celtics.
Hailing from Newark, New Jersey, before moving to North Carolina, Adebayo committed to Kentucky as a McDonald’s All American and former North Carolina Mr. Basketball.
He spent one season in Lexington, one of many of former head coach John Calipari’s famous one-and-dones, helping lead a Kentucky squad that also included Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox and former Los Angeles Laker and current King Malik Monk to an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight where it was bested by No. 1 seeded North Carolina.
His efforts saw him named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and All-SEC Second Team before he was selected by the Heat.
With Miami Adebayo has thrived, becoming a three-time NBA All-Star and being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2024. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team four times.
Since joining the Heat, Adebayo has helped Miami to make the playoffs every season but one, finishing runner up to the LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 for the NBA championship and the 2023 NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets. Miami also made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
The Heat are currently projected to draft a variety of young stars ranging from Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter to CBS’ Kyle Boone projecting Kentucky Wildcats star sixth man Rob Dillingham.
Regardless, the Miami Heat will hope to continue to fill holes on the roster and surround star Jimmy Butler with the players necessary to finally get back over that hump and win a first NBA championship since the 2012-13 back-to-back years with James. As for Adebayo, he was deemed an important piece to maintain in South Beach, with his $166 million dollar contract being added to his prior five-year $163 million dollar deal.
Adebayo will become a two-time United States Olympian in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics later this year and will hope to help Miami to get back to the conference finals and potentially even win a championship with a new contract in 2024-25.
