Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo is the latest star to have been linked to the Golden State Warriors, with the 28-year-old reported as being on their wish-list if he were to ever come available, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points earlier in the week.
It's unlikely that Adebayo goes anywhere in the near future, but who knows what can happen once the season gets underway. If the Heat suddenly make him available or Adebayo himself were to request a trade, the Warriors could be right there to capitalize with an intruiging trade package.
Warriors potential trade offer for Heat star Bam Adebayo
Adebayo will start a three-year, $160.8 million extension in 2026-27, but he's only set to make $37 million this season which means he's theoretically acquirable for Golden State without having to give up Stephen Curry, Draymond Green or former Heat teammate Jimmy Butler.
Here's what a potential offer from the Warriors could look like:
Warriors Receive: Bam Adebayo, Pelle Larsson
Heat Receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, 2028 and 2032 first-round picks
Why the Warriors would consider it
Being able to add Adebayo to the star veteran trio of Curry, Butler and Green would make Golden State look far more formidable and immediately increase their chances of winning a championship in the short-term.
The defensive front court combination of Adebayo and Green might just be the best in the league, while their combined passing skills and the former's improving 3-point shot could negate potential spacing concerns offensively.
Adebayo's also young enough that he could have plenty of years as an ideal replacement for Green's defense and playmaking. He may not be the complete franchise star you want in the early post-Curry years, but you could certainly do worse and at the very least he's a quality number two or three.
Why the Heat would consider it
Miami are always competitive with Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra at the head of the organization, but no one takes them seriously as a legitimate title threat as presently constructed. Perhaps they acquire a star themselves to elevate into that tier, yet the other option is to tear it down and enter a rebuild.
Dealing Adebayo in this trade package would be a strong start on that, particularly given there have been murmurs of their interest in Kuminga previously. Moody's another potential starting-calibre player the Heat could acquire, with both he and Hield on team-friendly contracts.
The two future Golden State picks are the real value here though, especially the 2032 one where Curry, Green and Butler will have retired and Adebayo himself will be 35-years-old. If Riley and the Heat truly believe those picks will land in the lottery, this is blockbuster deal that could actually come into fruition.