Bam Adebayo was cleared on Tuesday afternoon after spending the past week listed as day-to-day with a right groin issue. The Heat center is no longer on the injury report heading into Wednesday's season opener against the Timberwolves.
What happened
The Heat's injury report issued Tuesday at 3:59 PM ET lists Bam Adebayo as cleared. His previous status was day-to-day. The 29-year-old had been on the report since Oct. 14 with a groin issue, and the Oct. 16 update specified the right groin. Earlier in October he carried a day-to-day tag for rest, and he opened September day-to-day with a back issue before being cleared on Sep. 29. No comment accompanied Tuesday's update, and no detail was attached to the new status. Two teammates remain on the report: Vladislav Goldin is day-to-day with an ankle issue and Pelle Larsson is day-to-day with an illness.
What it means for the Heat
Miami opens the 2026-27 season Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET against the Timberwolves on ESPN, and Adebayo's clearance means the Heat can plan on their starting center for the opener. Last season he played 73 games and averaged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 32.4 minutes. With him off the floor, Kel'el Ware has taken the frontcourt minutes, averaging 22.1 minutes and 11.1 points, while Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell have carried the scoring. The Heat are 0-0 with no regular-season games played yet, so there is no record with or without him to weigh.
What to watch
The next injury report before Wednesday's tipoff will confirm whether Adebayo stays off the list. An expected return date was never announced because he was never ruled out of a regular-season game. The right groin has been the recurring note over the past week, so his minutes against Minnesota are the first real test. Larsson's illness and Goldin's ankle are the other Heat items to track on that report.
Is Bam Adebayo playing vs the Timberwolves?
He was cleared on Tuesday's injury report and is no longer listed, so he is on track to play in Wednesday's 7:30 PM ET opener unless a new report changes that.
When will Bam Adebayo be back?
He is back now. The Tuesday report moved him from day-to-day to cleared, and no return timeline was ever announced because he did not miss a regular-season game.