Former NBA center Kendrick Perkins has never been shy about expressing his opinions. This time, he’s taking aim at the Miami Heat and their star big man, Bam Adebayo.

Kendrick Perkins Thinks Bam Adebayo’s Time in Miami Is Over

Perkins, the 2008 NBA champion, appeared on the Road Trippin’ podcast with Channing Frye and delivered his blunt take on Adebayo’s future in Miami.

“Bam Adebayo will not be in a Miami HEAT jersey at the end of this year. He will not finish the season in Miami… I believe it’s time. Miami is nowhere close to being a playoff team,” Perkins said.

That’s indeed a bold claim about a player who has been the heart of Miami’s defense and leadership for years.

Adebayo, a three-time All-Star, averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists last season while leading the team in both rebounds and steals. But even his efforts couldn’t keep the Heat from falling apart late in the year.

The Heat finished eighth in the East last season with a 37-45 record before being crushed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.

The Cavaliers truly embarrassed Miami in the 2025 playoffs. They swept the series 4-0, finishing it off with a record 122-point total margin. Their 55-point blowout in Game 4 marked the fourth-largest playoff win in NBA history, and that defeat will certainly sting the Heat for long.

But beyond that, the historic defeat has left many wondering whether the Heat’s core, now centered around Adebayo after the departure of Jimmy Butler III has reached its limit. Perkins clearly believes it has.

While Adebayo remains one of the NBA’s top defenders, critics argue that his offensive output doesn’t match other players earning similar contracts.

Yet, without him, the Heat’s defensive identity could collapse. Head coach Erik Spoelstra also knows that Adebayo is the anchor of his system.

What’s Coach Erik Spoelstra’s Plan for the Heat’s 2025-26 Season?

After last season’s disappointment, Miami’s struggles have continued into the preseason. The team lost all six of its exhibition games, going 0-6 ahead of their regular-season opener against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, October 22.

Coach Spoelstra, however, isn’t panicking. Speaking about his plan for the 2025–26 season, he said:

“We’re not going to focus on what the record was in the preseason. We’ll focus on some of the things that you know were consistent to how we want to play. Defensively, we’ve talked about it a lot. We need to do a better job on the glass… We’ll have to do it more consistently than we have in these preseason games.”

That message hints at more defense, more discipline, and likely, more responsibility on Adebayo’s shoulders.

Still, Perkins’ prediction hangs over the Heat like a cloud. If Miami starts the season slow again, trade rumors around Adebayo could heat up quickly. For now, though, Adebayo remains the captain and the backbone of Spoelstra’s defense.

Whether he finishes the season in a Heat jersey, as Perkins doubts, might depend on whether Miami can finally turn things around.