Bam Adebayo injured, but it doesn't seem serious

It's been an eventful preseason for Bam Adebayo, though most of it hasn't been on the court for the Miami Heat.

There have been the trips to watch his girlfriend A'ja Wilson win a WNBA championship, and the celebrity that has come with that.

Monday, after an uneven preseason, Adebayo was back playing for the Heat, and he did show some positive offensive signs, but the night didn't last as long as he or the Heat would have liked. That was especially true because tis was the first ime this season that he was paired with Kel'el Ware.

But Adebayo bruised his knee in the third quarter and did not return.

Erik Spoelstra said postgame tonight in Atlanta that Bam Adebayo (knee contusion) not returning to the game was precautionary, and the Heat are returning home with every expectation that he's fine.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 14, 2025

This may mean we won't see Adebayo again until October 22 in Orlando. The Heat have one open-to-the-public scrimmage for charity and one home preseason game against Memphis remaining prior to that, but there's no reason to risk it, especially with the Heat already without Tyler Herro.

(While a Hawks announcer said he heard Herro would be back for the season opener, no one from the Heat side has confirmed that to this point. An extended absence remains more likely.)

The hope is that Adebayo will get back into rhythm quickly, so he avoids the same slow start that he had last season. He played much better in the 2024-25 season's final two months. While he isn't projected to be the Heat's top scorer even with Herro sidelined -- Norman Powell appears to have taken the reins -- the Heat do need his playmaking and mid-range shooting. They're struggling to connect from deep, and that's been the biggest factor in the 0-5 preseason record so far.