Heat's Bam Adebayo was in talks with $305M future Hall of Famer before signing Klay Thompson

The Miami Heat have finally caught fire on the free-agent front after missing out on several of their top targets throughout most of the offseason. However, they were able to land Klay Thompson over the weekend after patiently waiting for his situation with the Dallas Mavericks to play out.

With Thompson joining the team, Miami’s offense should have a chance to open up significantly. However, in the process of landing Thompson, the Heat also lost veteran DeMar DeRozan to the Denver Nuggets.

“The Nuggets signed DeMar DeRozan to a one-year deal at the veteran's minimum, per Shams Charania. DeRozan will now fill the void left behind by Peyton Watson in Denver's wing rotation," NBA reporter Evan Sidery posted.

The move came as somewhat of a surprise, considering DeRozan had remained in contact with Miami throughout the summer. At one point, South Beach was even viewed as one of his most likely landing spots.

“Miami Heat have been a Derozan landing spot for years now, there's been so much connectivity between him and the Heat and I do think the Heat seem to be the most likely scenario for DeMar DeRozan right now…Miami is probably his best bet…those other spots really don't have spending power," The Stein Line's Jake Fischer said.

The entire situation became even more interesting when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Bam Adebayo had remained in contact with DeRozan throughout the summer.

“There was mutual interest between DeRozan and the Heat, and Bam Adebayo and DeRozan communicated throughout the summer, sources said. But the Heat ultimately made Klay Thompson their priority and are expected to sign Thompson once he clears waivers after a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks, sources told ESPN,” Charania wrote.

This adds another layer to the situation, as it shows just how serious the Heat’s interest in DeRozan was. It is possible that Adebayo was hoping to play alongside DeRozan, but there is nothing to indicate that he personally preferred DeRozan over Thompson.

DeRozan has made $305 million throughout his career. The fact that Adebayo and DeRozan communicated throughout the summer is an intriguing development, especially now that Miami ultimately chose Thompson. The Heat clearly valued Thompson’s shooting and floor spacing more, giving the roster a different dynamic heading into the upcoming season.

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