Miami Heat Rumors: Bam Adebayo RECRUITING Luka Doncic To Miami In 2026 NBA Free Agency?

Miami Heat Rumors: Bam Adebayo RECRUITING Luka Doncic To Miami In 2026 NBA Free Agency?

It is Bameabio’s 28th birthday. This is the leader of this franchise, the organization. And before we get today’s show started, I want to show him some love because he is turning 28 and he’s already got a Hall of Fameesque resume. He is a threetime NBA All-Star. He has been on the NBA AllDense time five times in his career. A two-time Olympic gold medalist. and he is already top five in points, rebounds, and assist win Miami Heat history. So, it’s safe to say if he ends his career in Miami, he is going to be number one in rebounds, definitely probably top two in assist, and probably top two, three in points as well. Adabio is off to a heck of a start in his career. So, I want to show him some love. Show the captain of the heat love. Spam HBDs for his birthday down in the comments section. And with that being said, let’s get today’s show started. [Music] I am Nick Rolloff. This is the Heat Report by Chat Sports. And speaking of Bameabio, this is his show, his birthday. And the idea of him potentially recruiting Luca Donic to the Miami Heat is something that we have to talk about here because it has sparked a lot of speculation online. They have been hanging out very consistently over the past week overseas in Europe. You see him dapping up there. They’ve been pictured many times together. And a lot of people are probably going to ask, well, why are Luca Dan Donuchin and Bam at a bio together? Well, there is a very simple answer to all of this, but they have been spending a lot of time together. Luca and Bam are both Jordan brand ambassadors. So, the Jordan brand are having some of their top players go on a brand tour in Europe, just partying, showing off, just socializing. And well, those two are two of the top NBA players represented by Jordan. So, they are together just hanging out, partying it up. And this now sparked a lot of speculation on well, are these two conversing on what a potential partnership and duo would look like? And I’ll say this, folks, absolute cinema. A Bam and Luca duo would just be unbelievably good. Like you think about what player Bamea Bio could benefit the most from playing with, it would be an offensive juggernaut like Luca Donuch. You talk about what type of player that Luca Donuch would benefit the most from playing with. It is the best, most versatile defensive wing/forward in the NBA that can also rim run and catch lobs like Bamab Bio. These two would just be such a perfect match and it would just be awesome to see them playing together in the 305. And it is actually possible, which is why we’re talking about it. If it was impossible, we wouldn’t discuss it. If he was still in Dallas, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation. But now that he was traded to LA, a team that he did not choose to go to, it was just thrown out of nowhere. Well, there is a chance that he could opt out of his contract after this season because his 2026 contract is a player option. So, he could opt out of that, say, I don’t like where this franchise is going. I am not sure I want to extend with the Lakers. He could become an unrestricted free agent where every team in the NBA could then bid for his services by offering him the max and he would have his choice of teams. Make sure you are subscribed because we’re going to continue to bring you daily content and any piece of Miami Heat news or rumors out there, we will have you covered. 23 away from 24,200. Let’s get there on today’s show. When you talk about Luca Donuchen possibly extending verse not extending, you really have to focus on this key date. The date August 2nd. Why is it August 2nd? I don’t know, but that is when Luca is extension eligible. I don’t get why the NBA has these little caveats of like windows of extensions. Same thing with Tyler Herro. Like Tyler Herro can extend between October 1st and October 20th. If he doesn’t sign an extension between that time frame, well, he can’t sign one until the following off season. Well, August 2nd is when Luca becomes eligible to sign a 4-year $228 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. And it is not a foregone conclusion that Luca will ultimately do that. Brian Windhorse on the situation. If Luca doesn’t sign the extension, he could become a free agent next summer when there’s going to be 10 plus teams with cap space. If he does not sign, you will see teams begin to open up maneuvers to try to chase Luca Donic in free agency. And Miami will absolutely be one of those teams. That is no surprise. If you go back to January and February, one of the main reasons why it was reported that the Heat did not want to take back a contract in a Jimmy Butler trade that went into the 2627 off season is because they wanted to keep the cap space open for that free agency period, eyeing specifically Luca Donuch. But there are also other players like De’ar Fox that are going to potentially be unrestricted free agents. So, Miami has been trying to keep a max slot open in free agency and for good reason, but as we know, it is very rare that players come available on free agent market like this. The happened last year with Paul George, but look at how that turned out. When you find a guy that is an all-star, all NBA caliber player in their mid to high late 20s, they don’t hit free agency very often at all. And if you’re asking me on the situation, I think it’s a 10% chance Luca doesn’t extend and even if he doesn’t extend, which is in that 10% chance, there is still a chance he doesn’t opt out when he just is going to play one more year with Los Angeles and then become an unrestricted free agent 2027 or sign an extension the following off season. to me in talking with Jeffrey Cooperstein here who obviously knows Luca Don very well. He um covers the maths here. He believes that Luca will sign a smaller extension and then keep his options open for another super max two or three years down the line. Um that is kind of where I think things may head as well. But it is very unlikely Luca ultimately becomes a free agent. But if he did, Miami is going to certainly be a team that has the ear of Donic because of his relationship with BAM and Luca’s fondness of the Heat organization. But I want you to predict this for me. Will Luca Donic extend with the Lakers this off season? Type Y for yes, type N for no. I think he will, but let me know your thoughts. Now, when we showed that quote from Brian Windhorse earlier about how there would be 10 plus teams lining up if Luca doesn’t sign an extension, Wendy also added in that statement that the Lakers are a little bit stressed out about the situation. I don’t think they truly believe that Luca is not going to extend and then opt out next off season to become a free agent. But I don’t think they feel it is a thousand% foregone conclusion that Lucco will sign the extension. So, if they don’t believe it’s a thousand% likely he’s going to sign an extension, then I do understand why they would be a little bit uneasy considering they traded Anthony Davis and some other players to get Donic from the Mavericks. So, let’s take a look at if Miami could absolutely get Luca to the 305. Well, you have to start by looking at the cap situation for the Heat. Not this season, but the year after. So, these are the eight players that are guaranteed to be under contract right now for the 2627 season. Adabio’s extension kicks in at $49.6 million. Hero is on the last year of his contract right now at $33 million. Andrew Wiggins has a player option at $30.1 million. But the only other players under contract are the DaVon Mitchell extension at 12.4 4 mil and then rookie contracts in Haime Hawkeye Jr. Kel Wear Casper Yakonis and Pel Larson. So when you add up all of those contracts, it is actually underneath the 2026 NBA cap projection. Right now if you see a 7% increase in the cap from 25 to 26, which is what it was from 24 to 25, many people believe 165 million would ultimately be the cap space for the that year. And if you look at where Miami would ultimately be, well, it is a good thing for the Heat. Like I mentioned, you add up all of those eight contracts that we just showed, it is $141.6 million, which would give Miami $23.4 million in cap space. That does not give them the ability to have a supermax contract. That does give them a lot of opportunity though to give out pretty solidsized contracts. And they’ve got $23.4 $4 million in space, but they’d have like 60 million in first apron space and about 50 million in luxury tax space. So, they would have a lot of abilities to make moves. But if you are able to have no Andrew Wiggins, which means you either trade Wiggins this off season or trade Wiggins this season um to where he does not have that 30 million on the books and he has other expiring contracts. Let’s just say Miami doesn’t have that money. Well, now it comes down to 111.5 million if you take Andrew Wiggins off, which would give you $53.5 million in cap space. Well, guess what? If you do not have Andrew Wiggins on your books for 26-27 and you have just those other seven players, Miami would have enough space to offer Luca Donuch a max contract. In NBA free agency, if Luca doesn’t extend and opts out of his contract, he could sign a maximum deal of four years 219.4 in NBA free with a different team. It would have a $51 million cap hit in the first season. You do some quick math there that he’d had 53.5 million if they didn’t have Andrew Wiggins. So they would be underneath the required amount by 2.5 million to offer Luca Donuch that contract extension or that contract in NBA free for agency. Something that Miami would absolutely love to do. We’re talking about a player here that is top five in the NBA. He is without a question one of the biggest offensive juggernauts that we have ever seen in the entire NBA’s history. Like you just simply don’t find a player that consistently averages 28 points a game, nine rebounds, and about eight assists a night while shooting, by the way, 45% from the field and above 35% from three. I mean, this is just an unbelievable offensive talent that we probably will not see again for a very long time. Like, he is more offensively gifted than LeBron James at his peak, than Michael Jordan at his peak. And I’m really meaning that like you just I know it’s like different leagues and inflation and numbers go up, but the way he is able to create for himself and teammates while being an efficient scorer is just second to none. You do everything in your power to make Luca Donuch a real possibility if you get the even slightest slightest reasoning to believe he could opt out and become a free agent. If you feel like you have a chance, you get rid of Andrew Wiggins. You create the cap space you believe is necessary to offer Luca Donic a max contract. Would he sign with you? It is not guaranteed, but you at least have to throw your hat in the ring when this type of player could potentially become available on the free agent market. So, be honest with me. I’m going to give you my number here in a second. Percent chance the Heat sign Luca Donuch free agency next off season. Let me hear your numbers. Minus 3%. Chose that number very carefully. You might know why, but you heard me. I think it’s a 10% chance he even doesn’t sign an extension. So, if you factor in 10% chance he doesn’t extend and then you have to factor in him having to opt out of his player option, it just becomes very very unlikely. And it’s a low it’s a low number because I doubt he becomes a free agent. But I’ll say this. If Luca Donuch is an unrestricted free agent in 2026 and Miami had the cap space to offer a max deal, I truly believe the Heat would be the number one team Luca Donic would want to go to. And I have reason to believe based off what we’ve heard in the past that he would then sign with Miami. I mean, you just go back to February 3rd of this year. Kevin O’Connor says one of the two teams that’s long been rumored as his potential destination if he were to ever leave Dallas. It was always the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. Always Lakers and Heat. For years, that’s what it’s been. I’ve always heard Luca loves the weather in Miami. He loves the franchise. And I’ve talked to other people too like Jeffrey Cooperstein who obviously doesn’t have inside sources with Luca Donuch, but he has always said, “Yeah, if Luca ever left Dallas,” which he said he would never do, but that was never his choice. Nico Harrison traded him. He always believed he would come to Miami because he loves the city. It has a strong Slovenian presence, which is obviously where Luca is from. and he has a really good relationship with Gorandragic, which by the way, I know people have said this on Twitter before, get Gorandragic to the front office as soon as possible. Like, this is one of your franchise legends, number seven, and he would love to be in the front office, I’m pretty sure. So if you get him there, who Luca and Goran have an unbelievable relationship, you could potentially have another ear in Luca or another voice in Luca’s ear about potentially getting to Miami. Relationship with Bam Goran, his affinity for the city and the organization. I do think if he was a free agent, it would be a legit possibility. That’ll do it for today’s episode. Appreciate everybody who is hanging out with us here at the Heat Report. If you are not subscribed, what are you doing? Change that right now. you’re still watching. You like what we’re bringing to the table. So, join the channel today. [Music]

Miami Heat rumors on Luka Doncic headlines this edition of the Heat Report by Chat Sports. Bam Adebayo and Luka Doncic have been together at a Jordan Brand event, and now NBA rumors are flying around that Bam was recruiting Doncic to join the Miami Heat. Doncic, who could decline his player option with the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2025-26 NBA season, become an NBA Free Agent, and look to play alongside Bam Adebayo to build a team that would be contenders in the Eastern Conference. Heat Report host Nic Rohloff is here to breakdown all of the rumors surrounding Luka Doncic and the Miami Heat as well as give his take on if Doncic coming to South Beach is a realistic possibility.

Get down in the comments and answer today’s Heat questions!
– It’s Bam Adebayo’s 28th birthday! Spam ‘HBD’
– Will Luka Doncic extend with the Lakers? Type ‘Y’ for Yes or ‘N’ for No

NBA insider Brian Windhorst On Luka Doncic
“If [Luka] doesn’t sign [the extension] he can be a free agent next summer when there’s going to be 10-plus teams with cap space. If he does not sign it you will see teams begin to open up maneuvers to try to chase Luka.”

Luka Doncic stats and highlights:
2024-25: 28.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 7.7 APG, 45.0 FG%, 36.8 3P%
2023-24: 33.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 9.8 APG, 48.7 FG%, 38.2 3P%
2022-23: 32.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.0 APG, 49.6 FG%, 34.2 3P%
2021-22: 28.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 8.7 APG, 45.7 FG%, 35.3 3P%

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Miami Heat 2026-27 cap table:
– Bam Adebayo: $49.6 MM
– Tyler Herro: $33.0 MM
– Andrew Wiggins: $30.1 MM (PO)
– Davion Mitchell: $12.4 MM
– Jaime Jaquez Jr.: $5.9 MM
– Kel’el Ware: $4.6 MM
– Kasparas Jakucionis: $3.8 MM
– Pelle Larsson: $2.2 MM

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Kevin O’Connor On Luka Doncic (2/3/25)
“One of the two teams that’s long been rumored as his potential destination if he were to ever leave Dallas. It was always Lakers and Heat, always Lakers and Heat. For years, that’s what it’s been. I’ve always heard Luka loves the weather in Miami. He loves the franchise there.”

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Miami Heat 2024-25 stat leaders:
PPG: Tyler Herro (23.9)
RPG: Bam Adebayo (9.6)
APG: Tyler Herro (5.5)
STL: Bam Adebayo (1.3)
BLK: Kel’el Ware (1.1)

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USA Today, ESPN, Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, and the Ringer articles on the Miami Heat can all be found at our website: https://www.chatsports.com/miami-heat/

Miami Heat Highlights are fun to watch but do you learn anything? Watch these Heat Report videos to sharpen your Heat analysis:
– 😱SHOCKING😱 Miami Heat Rumors: Trade For LeBron James? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzOjernpO7I
– MAJOR Terry Rozier Update + Damian Lillard Signing With Boston Celtics? Miami Heat Rumors – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGm-6zej3wc
– 🚨HUGE Andrew Wiggins Update: Miami Heat Not Expected To Trade Wiggins | Heat Rumors – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ainl-IKxHfE

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