Heat break out the Brink’s truck to extend Bam Adebayo: Contract details, grade

In the last couple of years, Bam Adebayo has showcased himself as a top big man in this league and the Miami Heat are once again rewarding the star for his play.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Heat and Adebayo "intend to reach a three-year, $166 million max contract extension." This is on top of the two years he has left on a five-year, $163 million contract he signed in 2020.

While not currently a top-five superstar in the league, the former Kentucky student-athlete can be the second star on a title team. The star can develop into a true No. 1 option on a contending team if Adebayo further develops his outside shot. He averaged 19.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game on 52 percent shooting this season.

Adebayo has continually put these same numbers in the past with his averages being nearly identical outside of his 3-point shooting which greatly improved this season (35 percent shooting from three). The big man had two more years left on his deal but was in line to receive this extension considering how much teams value stars in the NBA.

Heat make right move and give Bam Adebayo a long-term max contract

Even though Adebayo is not a top-five star in this league, this contract is a no-brainer A+ for the Miami Heat with the big man likely continuing his All-NBA level veteran play for the next three to five years. The only possibility where this deal looks bad is if the big man falls off a cliff or suffers a tragic long-term injury.

Even though this will likely be a great signing for the Heat, the franchise likely has their work cut out regarding Jimmy Butler's future. Unless Butler takes the regular season more seriously, it's hard to see a world where the Heat offer him the two-year, $113 million contract he reportedly wants. This will likely cause the two parties to part ways and probably force Miami to trade Butler elsewhere.

Trading away Butler means that the squad will need to find a way to acquire the second star that they need to compete with Adebayo. While all of these are worthwhile questions, the Heat were able to keep their young star for the foreseeable future. This is worth a celebration for Adebayo and Miami's front office.

Bam Adebayo contract grade: A+