Rival teams may be interested in poking around Bam Adebayo's availability, but the Miami Heat have no interest in entertaining any trades for the All-Star big man. It's exactly what you'd expect to see from the Heat.
According to NBA insider Zach Lowe, there have been teams calling the Heat about Bam's availability via trade. The response has been a resounding "no" from Miami. Even though the Heat continues to have an uneven first half of the season, it does suggest that the team still feels Bam is a huge part of what they're building for the future.
The Heat may be on the prowl to land a superstar player, but in every situation, it does seem like the plan is to pair Bam with another star player, not replace him with one.
For instance, as the Heat continue to push forward for a potential deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the plan would be to pair him alongside Bam and then build from there. In a perfect world, over the next few months, that's exactly what the Heat would be able to accomplish.
Bam Adebayo is the face of the Heat's franchise
But you can't blame the opposing team for checking in on Bam. Just the way you can't blame the Heat for poking around the availability of other superstar players. And considering the Heat's inconsistencies so far this season, it wouldn't be that shocking if there was a chance that the team was beginning to have a bit of a change of heart involving Bam.
At least so far, the answer to that question is no.
In many ways, Bam epitomizes everything that the Heat have been building over the last few years. Even when the Heat have had success in the past, Bam often gets overlooked. But the Heat don't make it to the NBA Finals in 2020 or in 2023 without Bam.
Sure, it was Jimmy who made all the headlines and got a lot of the credit, but Bam was the foundation for what the team was able to accomplish during those seasons.
And even though the average fan may not be able to fully understand just how valuable a versatile player like Bam can be for a franchise, it's become crystal clear that the Heat sure do.
Miami is looking to make a big move in the next few months that will assuredly change the projection of their franchise, but it almost certainly won't involve Bam. He's the one unanimous untouchable player on their roster at the moment.
Just as it should be.