The Miami Heat gave Bam Adebayo a much deserved extension, worth $163 Million over 5 years.

The Miami Heat plan to sign All-Star Bam Adebayo to a five-year, $163M contract extension, source tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 24, 2020

This honestly shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, since there’s absolutely no reason to take the risk of waiting. He’s been watching a few of his good friends, De’Aaron Fox and Donovan Mitchell, get big time extensions as well.

Bam Adebayo is the textbook definition of a max/centerpiece player in today’s league. He deserves his money and he deserves it right now.

Obviously this makes many Heat fans wonder about the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation, but once again, that is not Bam’s problem.

By the way, someone who knows Giannis well told me Giannis would be more impressed by Heat extending Bam than by making Bam wait a year for his money to get Giannis more easily. Bam and Giannis are friends.

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 24, 2020

As Barry Jackson reported here, he has heard that Giannis will be more impressed if they extend Bam than make him wait. Obviously, the Giannis situation could possibly be in play, but it would be via trade.

This also could mean for Miami that they’re more willing to make a big trade for a guy like Bradley Beal, since the trade route is the only route right now.

But Miami is in no rush. They were prepared for this extension for Bam, since it would’ve been a huge surprise if he waited a year.

They have a plan. And it may be a plan that not many people have been discussing.