The Los Angeles Lakers are the betting favorites to land Miami Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo via trade, according to online sportsbook Bovada.
The Lakers (+190) own the shortest odds, followed by the Grizzlies (+260), Spurs (+300), Kings (+375), Mavericks (+475), Bulls (+1000) and Celtics (+1600).
To match Adebayo’s $37M salary (2025-26), the Lakers, a first-apron luxury tax team, could realistically package Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Maxi Kleber, along with a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick swap.
It’s worth noting that Adebayo has a three-year, $165 million extension that will kick in at the start of the 2026-27 season, running through 2028-29. During this timeframe, the defensive ace will make an average salary of $55 million, meaning the Lakers — or any other team — would be better off trading for him before the new extension.
Will Heat Ever Move Bam?
While it is fun to speculate, the likelihood of the Heat trading Bam Adebayo, their homegrown All-Star, is bleak at best.
After the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha discussed the possibility of Adebayo playing next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
“I think he’d be good next to Luka because they’re both All-Star, All-NBA guys, and they’re both smart and they can make it work,” Buha said of Adebayo, via BasketNews.
“I think Bam is not enough of a lob threat for what the Lakers would want. Defensively, he’d be great because he’s a great defender, but I don’t know if they could get him. … From a trade [perspective], I don’t really see LA having enough to offer [to Miami].”
The Lakers beat writer conceded that a package of Reaves, Knecht and draft assets may not be enough to pry Adebayo away from South Beach.
“I don’t think Miami is doing that,” he stressed.
Lakers Desperately Need Size
Whether it’s Adebayo or another center, the Lakers have a desperate need for a true center going into the 2025-26 season.
The Lakers’ lack of size and rim protection was a big talking point after their first-round playoff series loss to the Timberwolves.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka admitted in his post-season press conference that his team needed to add a center to compete with the powerhouses of the West.
“I think in terms of center traits, it would be great to have a center that was a vertical threat, lob threat and someone that could protect the interior defensively. I think those would be keys,” Pelinka said, via LakersNation.
“But there’s multiple different types of centers that could be very effective in the league. There’s also spread centers that can protect the rim, we’ll look at those as well. I wouldn’t want to limit the archetype, but we know we need a big man.”
According to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, teams realize that the Lakers are desperate for size and could therefore increase their asking price in potential trades. A former NBA executive discussed the issue in an interview with Irwin.
“The whole league knows that not only do the Lakers need a starting center and probably a backup, but they need to bring someone in who Luka is going to want to play with. They basically have to hope someone else reaches their current level of desperation so that the talks can be held on even footing.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Lakers Betting Favorites to Land $165 Million Defensive All-Star appeared first on Heavy Sports.