NBA Rumors: Heat Seen Making Run At Bradley Beal
During the offseason, the Miami Heat acquired a single star player, Jimmy Butler, but have been stymied in their efforts to land another. The team was not able to land Russell Westbrook before he was traded to Houston, and talks for Miami to get the player for whom Westbrook was traded, Chris Paul, have stalled, per The Inquisitr.
Now, a new report says the Heat’s next step may be trying to land Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards.
Per The Inquisitr, Miami engaged the Wizards in an attempt to trade for Beal in early July, around the start of free agency. Now, Miami Herald reporter Barry Jackson took to Twitter to say that the Heat are readying for another run at acquiring Beal.
“Next significant event for Heat could be re-engaging with Wizards if Beal rejects three year, 111 M extension he’s eligible to sign after July 26,” Jackson tweeted Wednesday.
So far, the Wizards have rejected all trade offers for Beal, who has two years remaining on his current contract with Washington. The Wizards, whose star player, John Wall, is expected to miss the season with an injury, appear headed for a rebuilding project, and if Beal refuses a contract extension, he would become the next star NBA player to become available for potential trades, far ahead of his scheduled free agency in 2021. The team’s other option is to keep Beal, build around him, and hope that Wall eventually recovers.
Will Bradley Beal and the #Wizards find a way to win and stay together?#DCFamily pic.twitter.com/K3rSBWWjwg
— Wizards Nation (@WizardsNationCP) July 14, 2019
However, the Heat may find it difficult to find a trade match with the Wizards in the event that Beal becomes available. Miami could make the salaries match by trading such veteran players as Goran Dragic, but the team is lacking in young assets, as well as future draft picks. Should Beal become available, teams with large stashes of future draft picks, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans, would likely find themselves more capable of putting together a package that would interest Washington.
Beal, who turned 26 last month, had the best season of his career this past year, with a career-high 25.6 points per game, 47.5 percent shooting, and 35.1 percent on three-pointers.
For the last few years in the NBA, there are two or three moments every season in which a star player suddenly becomes available for trades. Per Sports Illustrated, Beal has a good chance to be the next player subjected to such a feeding frenzy, along with the likes of Chris Paul and Kevin Love.
