Bam Adebayo misses out on All-NBA. What that means for Adebayo’s potential Heat extension
One day after learning he was voted onto the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo learned Wednesday night that he’ll have to wait at least one more year to make his first All-NBA team.
Adebayo, who just completed his seventh NBA season, did not make one of this season’s three All-NBA teams that were revealed on Wednesday night.
“Obviously, if you check my numbers and you’ve seen us play, you’ve seen me grow into a two-way player,” Adebayo said during a Zoom call with South Florida media this week when asked if he feels like he’s been pigeonholed as a defensive specialist. “So I don’t necessarily say pigeonholed. I just know in a lot of the biggest moments I’ve had offense, I’ve had a couple. But I know on defense, I’ve had a lot. I feel like for me, I’m really a two-way player rather than just getting pigeonholed into, ‘He’s a great defensive player.’”
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Five players regardless of position made each of the three All-NBA teams.
The All-NBA First Team for this season includes Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
The All-NBA Second Team includes Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers.
The All-NBA Third Team includes Devin Booker of the Suns, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, LeBron James of the Lakers and Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings.
Among the panel of 99 media members who voted on NBA awards for this regular season, Adebayo received zero First-Team votes, one Second-Team vote and four Third-Team votes. Among the 10 players who received All-NBA votes but did not make an All-NBA team, Adebayo finished with the ninth-most voting points.
Adebayo is the only Heat player who received votes for this season’s All-NBA teams. Adebayo’s Heat co-star Jimmy Butler was not eligible to receive All-NBA votes this year because he didn’t meet the league’s new threshold of 65 regular-season games played to qualify for consideration.
If this news wasn’t already disappointing enough for Adebayo, missing out on All-NBA this season also means Adebayo will not be eligible to sign a supermax extension this offseason that would have paid him $245 million over four years.
To become eligible for a supermax extension this offseason, Adebayo either needed to either make an All-NBA team (first, second or third) this season, be named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year this season or be named the NBA MVP this season. He wasn’t able to check any of those boxes.
As a result, Adebayo is only eligible to sign a three-year extension worth $165 million this offseason that begins with a $51.2 million salary for the 2026-27 season.
Adebayo, who turns 27 on July 18, becomes eligible to sign an extension with the Heat this offseason starting on July 7, and that window will close on Oct. 21 on the eve of the start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season. Any extension Adebayo signs this offseason would begin in the 2026-27 season.
The Heat also has a decision to make this offseason on a potential extension for Butler, who is expected to seek a maximum two-year contract extension worth about $113 million from the Heat this summer.
Whether Adebayo signs an extension or not this offseason, he’s under contract with Miami through the 2025-26 season. Under his current contract, Adebayo is set to be the second-highest paid player on the Heat’s roster for the next two seasons — $34.8 million salary for next season and $37.1 million salary for the 2025-26 season — behind only Butler.
If Adebayo wants another opportunity to qualify for a supermax, he could forgo signing an extension this offseason and instead sign one next offseason. If he makes an All-NBA team or wins the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award or wins the NBA’s MVP award next season, he would become eligible to sign a supermax extension with the Heat in the 2025 offseason.
Adebayo, who will make his second appearance in the Olympics this summer as a member of Team USA, averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and providing his usual elite defense this regular season. He also started to put up more three-pointers late this season, shooting 14 of 28 (50 percent) from three-point range during his final 17 regular-season games after shooting 1 of 14 (7.1 percent) during his first 54 appearances of the regular season.
Adebayo was one of only seven NBA players who averaged at least 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game this regular season, along with Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Davis, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Sabonis. Adebayo, Embiid and Wembanyama were the only players on this list who didn’t make an All-NBA team, but Embiid wasn’t eligible for the honor because he didn’t meet the league’s threshold of 65 regular-season games played to qualify for consideration.
Adebayo (All-Defensive First Team) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (All-Rookie First Team) are the only Heat players who have been honored this postseason with NBA accolades for the 2023-24 regular season.
