The Heat and their All-Star center Bam Adebayo agreed Tuesday on a maximum rookie-scale extension.
The five-year agreement kicks in for the 2021-22 season, worth potentially close to $200 million.
“It definitely takes a monkey off my back, for sure. This is an accomplishment I always wanted to get,” Adebayo said at his third-annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, in Liberty City. “Hard work pays off. But it doesn’t stop now. I know I’m generational wealthy, as you can say, but still got business to handle.”
Pressure on #Heat to extend Bam Adebayor #NBA
— BABAJide (@JideTona14) November 23, 2020
The Heat had a December 21 deadline to finalize such an agreement, the day before the scheduled start of the pandemic-delayed 2020-21 season, with the agreement instead reached before the start of training camp.
Adebayo likely stood as the last remaining player in line for a maximum rookie-scale extension this offseason. Already having received and accepted such extensions from the 2017 NBA draft class were Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
“This is just a great place for me,” Adebayo said.
