Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson practice, expect to be ready for Heat opener; Dru Smith still ramping up

Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson were back on the floor for the Miami Heat’s practice on Sunday, October 18, and both expect to be ready for Wednesday’s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. That removes the biggest question hanging over Erik Spoelstra’s opening-night plans.

According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, all 17 players on the roster took part in the session. Adebayo had been held out of the last two preseason games with tightness in his right groin, and Larsson missed the same stretch with an illness. Neither situation was ever described as serious. When Adebayo was first listed as day-to-day before the October 14 game against Brooklyn, Spoelstra said he was not overly concerned.

Dru Smith is the one to watch

The outlook is less settled for guard Dru Smith. He strained his right calf early in training camp, and at the time the team expected him to be out for a couple of weeks. That injury kept him out of the whole preseason. Smith said Sunday was the first day he had really started doing some of the work on the floor again. He is still building back up to full activity, so Wednesday looks uncertain for him.

Why it matters for Miami

Adebayo is still the hub of everything the Heat do on both ends. Last season he averaged 20.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 73 games. His rebounding put him among the top 15 in the league per game, and he took 35 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Without him, Miami would have to play the Timberwolves’ frontcourt with a much thinner rotation of bigs.

Larsson’s return matters more for the second unit. He averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists across 70 games in 2025-26, and he gives Spoelstra a wing who can handle the ball when the starters sit. Smith averaged 5.6 points and 2.6 assists in 70 games and is mainly a defensive option at guard. If he can’t go, the backcourt minutes behind the starters will be spread a little thinner.

The full injury picture for every team is on the WhyNBA injury report, and Miami’s roster and schedule are on the Heat team page.

What comes next

The Heat host the Timberwolves on Wednesday, October 21, to open the 2026-27 regular season. The first official injury report for that game will show whether Adebayo and Larsson are cleared and whether Smith is available. Follow the game in the Timberwolves vs. Heat Game Center.