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Earlier this season, with Jimmy Butler carrying the Miami Heat, the team launched a social media campaign to ramp up consideration for Butler to win the Most Valuable Player award. It’s something the team has continued to do.
5 letters... but it sounds like only 3. #JIMVP
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 25, 2021
#HEATHighlights pic.twitter.com/e9TJqy4lEd
And now the team has started another campaign — one that has a higher possibility of becoming reality. While Miami’s middling record will hurt Butler’s chances to win MVP, Bam Adebayo has a realistic chance of being named the Defensive Player of the Year.
These @Bam1of1 numbers speak loudly on behalf of our agenda. #BAMDPOY
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 23, 2021
The Case // @KIA pic.twitter.com/atNUrsCWtt
NBA.com’s latest Defensive Player Ladder ranked Adebayo third behind only Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons. Before Adebayo’s buzzer-beater over the Brooklyn Nets last Sunday, the Heat center switched onto Kyrie Irving multiple times and locked him up.
Bam Adebayo defense against Kyrie Irving tonight pic.twitter.com/pHRpsPoRDn
— Misha Konygin (@gdfactoryclips) April 18, 2021
This all matters to the Heat’s future salary cap flexibility because of how Miami structured Adebayo’s max contract extension last year. The five-year contract, which will start during the 2021-22 season, will rise from 25 percent of the salary cap to 27.5 percent if he wins Defensive Player of the Year this season. The contract’s value will increase even more if Adebayo is named to the All-NBA First Team or wins MVP this year.
Bam’s potential payouts (at the current $112.4M salary cap projection for 2021-22):
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) November 29, 2020
◾️ Min Payout (25%): $28.1M ($163.0M total)
◾️ DPOY (27.5%): $30.9M ($179.3M total)
◾️ 1st Team All-NBA (28.5%): $32.0M ($185.8M total)
◾️ MVP (30%): $33.7M ($195.6M total)
At the time, I said Defensive Player of the Year would be the accolade Adebayo has the best chance of winning. And we’ve seen that bear out. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will finish ahead of Adebayo in the All-NBA vote.
As for the 2021 off-season ramifications, Victor Oladipo’s injury complicates the Heat’s plans. General regression from Goran Dragic and an off 3-point shooting year from Tyler Herro have worsened Miami’s offense. If Oladipo returns and can help Miami win two playoff series — an optimistic outlook considering the Heat’s inconsistent season — the Heat could sign Oladipo to an extension.
And if not? Could the Heat circle back to Kyle Lowry, as Kevin O’Connor suggested last month? Would Lowry still sign with Miami, even if Adebayo winning Defensive Player of the Year forces the Heat to make a lower offer than another team?
The Heat’s social media campaign indicates that the team isn’t worried about the ramifications. And we shouldn’t be, either.
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