Bam Adebayo Is Confident in Heat’s Roster With Giannis—How Miami Can Contend Despite Depth Concerns

The Heat made a splash over the offseason by bringing in Giannis Antetokounmpo for a slew of young players and draft capital. A massive haul to finally pry Milwaukee’s longtime superstar away from the Bucks.

Heat president Pat Riley got his guy, but it took Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, the No, 13 pick in the 2026 draft (Nate Ament), two future first-round picks, a pick swap and a future second-rounder to get it done. Bobby Portis came to Miami with Antetokounmpo, but the trade and the offseason departure of Norman Powell left the roster with a major concern. There’s Giannis and Bam Adebayo, but is the lack of depth enough to compete in an improving Eastern Conference?

Then, the 76ers went out and acquired Jaylen Brown and later won the LeBron James sweepstakes to fill out a stacked roster on an immediate title contender. There’s the Knicks in their title defense, the Celtics with a full year of Jayson Tatum, the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton back, Cleveland after a run to the Eastern Conference finals, the Raptors on the verge of acquiring Kawhi Leonard and the Pistons who are coming off a 60-win season. The East will be a gauntlet that you can make an argument plenty of other teams are better suited for compared to Miami.

Don’t tell that to Adebayo, however, who’s been a part of numerous Heat teams that have outperformed expectations.

“We’ll figure it out,” he said on Sunday when asked about Miami’s need for additional shooting, via Brendan Tobin on YouTube. “We don’t really worry about the outside noise too much. We’ve done a lot more with less in our past years before so we’ll figure it out.”

A very diplomatic answer and a good point that the Heat seem better suited to make the most out of a lacking roster compared to other teams around the league. On the other hand, a playoff run often hinges on depth and health. If the Heat face any adversity with their already thin depth, they face an uphill battle when pitted against the competition. Should it all click, though, the star duo of Adebayo and Antetokounmpo should be one of the most dominant forces across the league. Here are a few things the Heat need to go right if the franchise wants to make a title push in the first season of the Giannis era.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo must remain healthy

It’s certainly stating the obvious, but the best ability is availability. Adebayo has played in more than 70 games in each of the past four seasons—his health isn’t a concern barring anything sudden. Antetokounmpo, however, made a career-low 36 appearances last season as he dealt with lingering calf and knee issues while the Bucks shut him down toward the end of the season as the franchise looked toward the future.

He said he was ready to go at the end of the season and was frustrated even further with his former franchise as the Bucks “refused” to let him play. With a new uniform on, he should be ready to hit the ground running as he’s invigorated by a new franchise that’s looking to compete now. However, any potential injuries would hit the Heat harder than other teams around the league. Beyond Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, the current roster is made up of Portis, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jović, Tim Hardaway Jr., Simone Fontecchio, Pelle Larsson and second-round pick Ryan Conwell.

Mitchell, Hardaway and Wiggins likely fill out the starting lineup with Portis, Jović and Larsson as the first players off bench. Miami’s lineup is certainly thin as is and any absences could be too difficult to overcome.

Acquire a true point guard to assume ballhandling responsibilities

Davion Mitchell is Miami’s projected starting point guard | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Miami’s lack of depth includes a clear need for additional playmaking. Although Antetokounmpo will handle the ball and is a solid playmaker, the guard room is a serious question. Mitchell and Antetokounmpo will be the primary ballhandlers and the former has improved as a facilitator over the last couple of seasons. However, Mitchell stands out as a defender and a solid three-point shooter on decent volume.

Adebayo can make plays himself, but the roster would benefit from a lead guard who can make the offense flow. At this point, the offseason is mostly solidified with minimal options available and the Heat already gave up their available assets to bring in Antetokounmpo. Russell Westbrook is still out there after a strong season with the Kings as an external target Miami could look at for backcourt help. As constructed, the offense could work, but it puts a lot of pressure on Mitchell and even Antetokounmpo. A new face in the guard room could go a long way as the new-look team tries to make things click.

Hit the mark with the Tim Hardaway Jr. signing and get impactful minutes from rookie Ryan Conwell to address shooting

Miami lost Powell to the Bulls in free agency after he had an All-Star season where he averaged 21.7 points per game. Not only was he an offensive engine, but he was the Heat’s best three-point shooter and was more efficient on higher volume than Herro, the franchise’s longtime sharpshooter. Riley signed Hardaway to a one-year, $6 million contract to bring the team much-needed shooting to space the floor for his newly formed star duo.

The franchise traded its first-round pick to Milwaukee in the Antetokounmpo trade, but it took Conwell out of Louisville with the 37th pick in the draft. He played four years in college and is one of the more NBA-ready prospects as a career 37.6% shooter on 6.7 attempts per game from deep. The pick makes complete sense for the Heat and it’s not a stretch to think the second-round rookie could step into a decent role on Miami’s star-studded roster. Conwell’s shooting should translate to the next level, while Hardaway has remained an elite three-point shooter over his past two seasons in Detroit and Denver.

Last season, Hardaway shot a career-high 40.7% from three on high volume with 6.9 attempts per game. Even at 34 years old, he has plenty left in the tank as a premier floor spacer for Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. Replacing Powell and Herro with Hardaway and Conwell is a downgrade, but if the veteran signing and second-round draft pick work out, the floor will open up for Miami’s star duo.

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