Pat Riley on Adebayo’s extension, Haslem’s return. And a look at NBA’s health protocols

The richest contract in Miami Heat history and the return of veteran forward Udonis Haslem both became official on Saturday.

All-Star center Bam Adebayo signed his five-year, $163 million contract extension, which could end up being worth as much as $195 million. It’s most expensive contract in franchise history.

The Heat also announced Saturday that Haslem signed his contract to return to the Heat for an 18th season. It’s a one-year, $2.6 million veteran minimum deal.

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“One of the most important things a franchise can do is to make sure that your best, youngest, cornerstone players sign on the dotted line,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement of Adebayo’s extension. “Getting Bam his extension was a no-brainer for us because we know he will be around for years to come. That’s great for the Heat, great for the fans and great for Bam.”

Of re-signing Haslem, Riley said in a statement: “It’s great to have UD back. His role is so critical for our team. Besides being able to still play, UD keeps everyone together in the locker room and on the road, teaching and mentoring. I think it’s a role he really loves and we are glad he decided to come back for another season.”

There is no player option or team option included in Adebayo’s extension. The deal begins in the 2021-22 season and runs through the 2025-26 season, and would rise to $195 million if he’s either voted onto one of the three All-NBA teams, named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year or MVP this upcoming season.

If the 2021-22 salary cap rises above the projected $112.4 million, the extension would also increase in value.

There was some speculation that the Heat might ask Adebayo to hold off an extension this offseason and instead sign him to a new contract next offseason to maximize 2021 cap space. If the Heat had chosen to bypass an Adebayo extension, he would have become a restricted free agent next offseason and Miami could have matched outside offers.

Even after Adebayo signed his extension, he’ll earn $5.1 million this upcoming season in the final year of his rookie deal.

Haslem, who turned 40 in June, declined to say earlier this month whether this will be his final NBA season, joking that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told him not to make that declaration until after this upcoming season is over.

The Miami native, who attended Miami High, has spent his entire NBA career with the Heat and currently holds the longest streak by any active player with only one team in the league.

Undrafted out of Florida in 2002, he has played a role on each of the franchise’s three championship teams and is the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder with 5,754 rebounds. Haslem is the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds and he has served as a Heat captain in each of the past 13 seasons, the longest tenure in team history.

Haslem has appeared in 858 career regular-season games (500 starts), averaging 7.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 25.1 minutes while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 75.5 percent from the foul line.

Haslem has played much less of an on-court role and more of a leadership role in recent seasons, as has logged just 191 minutes in 28 games since the start of the 2017-18 season. He played a total of 44 minutes over four regular-season games and did not play in the playoffs this past season.

The Heat’s roster currently stands at the regular-season limit of 15 players under standard contracts: Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Andre Iguodala, Kelly Olynyk, Meyers Leonard, Avery Bradley, Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Moe Harkless, Precious Achiuwa, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Haslem, KZ Okpala and Chris Silva.

But teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players during training camp and the preseason. With guard Gabe Vincent returning on a two-way deal, Miami now has 18 players on its roster (15 under standard contracts, Vincent under a two-way contract and the recent additions of undrafted forward Paul Eboua and undrafted guard Breein Tyree on Exhibit 10 contracts).

The Heat is expected to carry the maximum of 20 players on its roster for training camp. The two remaining open spots will likely be used to sign players to Exhibit 10 deals, which include an invitation to training camp, do not count against the salary cap or luxury tax and can be converted to two-way contracts.

NBA teams can begin training camp on Tuesday, but they will be limited to individual workouts capped at four players and four coaches/player development personnel at one time for most of the week. The Heat plans to begin those formal individual workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday.

Players who want to take part in individual workouts starting Tuesday had to be back in their respective home markets on Saturday to begin mandatory COVID-19 testing.

Sunday, Dec. 6 will be the soonest NBA teams can begin full team practices, according to a comprehensive 134-page “Health and Safety Protocols” guide for the 2020-2021 season that the league sent to teams on Saturday.

As part of the heath protocols sent to teams, the NBA also detailed how it will handle players who test positive for COVID-19 this season. Players who test positive will have to miss almost two weeks in some circumstances before returning to the court.

There are two methods by which a player can return to play after a positive test:

A time-based resolution in which the infected person would have to remain in isolation until at least 10 days have passed since the date of the first positive test or the onset of any symptoms, if they have any; at least 24 hours have passed since their fever went away without the use of medications; and other symptoms have improved.

If a player is cleared based on the time-based resolution, they must then spend two days working out by themselves when no other players are present at the facility while wearing a mask at all times. So any player who tests positive will have to miss a minimum of 12 days before they can return.

The other is a test-based resolution in which the infected person would have to return at least two consecutive negative PCR tests from samples taken at least 24 hours apart.

The NBA announced its preseason schedule on Friday, and the Heat will play two preseason games: against the New Orleans Pelicans on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. at AmericanAirlines Arena and against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. in Tampa’s Amalie Arena, where the Raptors are playing home games this season because of Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions.

The COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 72-game regular season is scheduled to begin Dec. 22. The Heat hasn’t yet said if any fans will be permitted at home games this season.