For years, the call, including from those within his own camp, has been about how the Miami Heat could best serve Jimmy Butler, provide upgraded complementary talent to maximize his remaining prime seasons in the team’s colors.
Those efforts, often restricted by the salary cap, luxury tax and other business-side limitations, included onboarding Kyle Lowry in 2021 at a pay package seemingly few others were willing to extend.
And yet, for games on end, particularly playoff games on end, it often came down to Butler or bust.
But now, with Butler to turn 35 in just over a month, and possibly to be out of a Heat uniform at this time next year — depending on how player-option and extension machinations marinate — a case could be made for taking the process in an alternate direction.
Having turned 27 last month, and having been signed to an extension last month that will have him under contract through the 2028-29 season (at nearly $60 million that season), Bam Adebayo arguably is about to stand as the face of the franchise.
Which makes this a moment to take pause and at least consider the possibilities.
Because in this moment, Adebayo arguably stands at an even higher ground, as a face of USA Basketball.
Wednesday night’s team-high 18 points for Team USA at the Paris Olympics hardly came by accident. They came because Team USA coach Steve Kerr (who happens to be assisted by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra at the Games), saw the value of Adebayo’s versatility.
But, more than that, Adebayo’s Olympic teammates, a world-class group of future Hall of Famers, saw the value of Adebayo’s possibilities.
The chemistry with Kevin Durant in the victory over South Sudan was undeniable. Durant and Adebayo entered together, thrived together, together pushed Team USA into the Olympic quarterfinals.
For all the Heat have achieved over these five Butler seasons, and plenty certainly has been achieved with three East finals and two NBA Finals, the Adebayo chemistry with Butler felt muted, as if both were competing for the same spots on the court.
For years, we’ve heard about the Adebayo-Tyler Herro chemistry, the Adebayo-Duncan Robinson chemistry. But the Adebayo-Butler chemistry? Not so much — through the fault of neither.
As a big man, Adebayo needs a facilitator to help him get into his offensive game, just as he facilitates for others. Few big men carry their teams, with Nikola Jokic the obvious exception, perhaps Joel Embiid, as well.
In fact, for as much as Lowry had been brought aboard at Butler’s behest, a true point guard would do plenty for Adebayo, as well. With Lowry, Adebayo’s touches came deeper in the post, in better position to activate his offense. After January’s trade of Lowry, Adebayo’s post touches came farther out on the court, Herro and Terry Rozier not nearly as deft at serving the post.
With surrounding talent, Adebayo already has shown in these Olympics what he can be, certainly something far more than expected from the limited presence under John Calipari at Kentucky and then even under Spoelstra at the outset with the Heat.
It is why last month’s three-year, $166 million extension from the Heat made fiscal sense from Micky Arison, Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg and those who have to make sense of such numbers.
But it also is a transaction that cannot come in a vacuum.
What happens next with Butler has to come with accompanying thought about Adebayo.
How the roster is structured going forward potentially needs to be made with more inside-out thinking, as it was with Alonzo Mourning and then Shaquille O’Neal.
There was a time when Adebayo was an afterthought with the Heat, when Hassan Whiteside was commanding (or at least being granted) the prime real estate at center in the rotation.
There was a time when Adebayo was an afterthought with Team USA, when he was cut from the roster in 2019 in favor of Marvin Bagley.
Now, there is world-class basketball on a world stage.
As an emerging face of USA Basketball.
And as the heir apparent to standing as the face of the Miami Heat.
