Dec 7, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) celebrates with guard Tyler Herro (14) after Herro made a three-point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Bam Adebayo Becomes Latest Miami Heat Player To See NBA 2K26 Rating Decline

Originally posted on Miami Heat on SI | By Alex Toledo | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 3:28 PM ET

After a season that saw the Miami Heat get brutally beat down in a first round sweep after trading away their former best player, it seems the perception on some of their players is getting worse. With NBA 2K releasing their top 100 player ratings ahead of NBA 2K26, Bam Adebayo became the latest Heat player to see their rating go down, going from an 89 to an 88.

Bam Adebayo comes in as an 88 on NBA2K25 pic.twitter.com/T8TXSSMMug
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) August 19, 2025

Adebayo, 28, averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in his eighth NBA season, converting on 48.5 percent of his field goals and 35.7 percent of his threes.

His teammates Tyler Herro (down two points) and Norman Powell (down three points) saw even steeper drops on their ratings.

In the Heat's Playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Adebayo averaged 17.5 points, 11 rebounds and 4.3 assists, converting on 43.8 percent of his shots and 33.3 percent of his threes.

Going into the 2025-2026 season, Adebayo is now the unquestioned centerpiece of the team. It will be interesting to see if the three-time All-Star can replicate or even add to the production he showed after the Butler trade, when he averaged 20.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 37 games, especially after the Heat traded for a scoring guard in Powell.

Norman Powell's NBA 2K26 Rating Shockingly Plummets With Miami Heat

The Miami Heat's offseason has consisted of multiple surprising moves, whether it be trading Haywood Highsmith and a second-rounder to get under the luxury tax line, signing Dru Smith shortly afterwards, trading Duncan Robinson for Simone Fontecchio, or drafting Kasparas Jakučionis with the 20th pick.

However, their biggest move this summer has easily been the acquisition of Norman Powell, who according to NBA 2K, will not be quite as good next season as he was in 2024-2025. After Powell was previously scored with an 87 overall rating on NBA 2K25, he's now been given an 84 rating ahead of NBA 2K26.

Climbing up the ranks of the #NBA2KTop100 ↗️

Drop your takes on these OVRs ✍️ pic.twitter.com/9zxt1384V5
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) August 17, 2025

Powell had a career year last season, averaging 21.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from three, along with 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his age-31 season.

Before the spot was ultimately given to his Los Angeles Clippers co-star James Harden, Powell nearly made his first All-Star selection, averaging about 24 points before the All-Star break. The Clippers ended up with a 50-32 record last season, finishing as the fifth seed in the packed Western Conference.

However, what could be part of the reasoning for the much lower rating is Powell's playoff performance. The 10-year veteran averaged 16 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists, converting on 47 percent of his shots and 35 percent of his threes in the Clippers' seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets.

Additionally, perhaps NBA 2K is predicting that Powell won't be as effective or productive with the Heat, who are projected by the majority to be a team that hangs around .500 for the season. Also, with the Clippers, Powell also benefitted from playing in a larger role next to one of the best playmakers in the league in James Harden.

The onus will be on his new co-stars Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, as well as coach Erik Spoelstra, to show that Powell can be optimized within the constructs of their team. To that point, Powell is on the last year of his contract and will be looking for a new deal with the Heat.