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By Alex Kirschenbaum
Contributing Entertainment Writer
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A Miami Heat All-Star has suffered a fresh knee injury and had to depart the club's ongoing preseason clash.
More news: Heat Receive Massive Tyler Herro Prediction
Per Marc Stein of The Stein Line, three-time All-Star power forward/center Bam Adebayo has been ruled out for the rest of the Heat's clash with the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-foot-9 Kentucky product has incurred a right knee contusion.
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Adebayo wraps up his night with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 shooting from the charity stripe, nine rebounds, and three assists in 19:28 minutes of action. He notched a plus-11 plus-minus, which currently paces the Heat.
More news: Major Hold Up in Lakers, Heat Trade Talks Revealed
Following a bit of a regression in 2024-25, the 28-year-old is angling for a comeback with a revamped Miami squad this year.
The Heat ditched Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love in a three-team deal to acquire guard Norman Powell from the LA Clippers to bolster their backcourt within a wide-open Eastern Conference. Miami also moved sharpshooting swingman Duncan Robinson in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons that landed them Simone Fontecchio and a trade exception.
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After six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler forced his way out of town in a blockbuster midseason deal, Miami found itself floundering. But you can only fall so far in the Eastern Conference, so the club finished with a 37-45 record and the East's No. 10 seed, but managed to crawl its way into the eighth seed and a playoff berth thanks to a solid in tournament run. One-time All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins and young guard Davion Mitchell are the two top current holdovers from that trade still on the Heat's roster.
Miami's 2025-26 Upside
Adebayo and 2025 All-Star guard Tyler Herro are the Heat's two foundational stars, but the upside of second-year center Kel'el Ware and Powell this year could determine how far the team can go.
Should Adebayo be encumbered by his knee ailment for long, it could derail what Miami had no doubt hoped would be a return to a deep playoff run. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, now the longest-tenured coach in the league, was always going to struggle to find a way to make Ware and Adebayo — two non-shooting bigs — mesh in his frontcourt. Should Adebayo be shelved for significant time, Spoelstra will be able to at least bring in some shooting help, with probably Nikola Jovic being inserted into the first five.
More news: Heat Could Reportedly Cut Ties With $96.3 Million Guard
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