Even though Bradley Beal would agree to a trade to the Miami Heat, he’s reportedly not forcing the Washington Wizards to deal him to the Heat.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald explored the Heat’s interest in acquiring Beal, who’s been a prolific scorer for much of his NBA career but could be dealt during the offseason.
“The Washington Wizards and the representation for Bradley Beal have a general understanding of several of the teams that Beal would be willing to accept in a trade, and the Heat, as expected, is among those teams, according to a source with direct knowledge,” wrote Jackson.
“The interest appears mutual: The Heat has expressed interest in Beal, according to the source, though it’s unclear what Miami would be willing to trade for him.
“While Beal would welcome a trade to the Heat if the Wizards decide to deal him, he is not trying to push his way to Miami or any specific team, the source said.”
Beal, who turns 30 at the end of this month, was the third overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft and has spent his entire career with the Wizards. During both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, he averaged more than 30 points per game.
However, in the past two seasons, he’s played a total of just 90 regular season games as a result of injuries. That lack of durability might be a big concern for interested teams.
One of the reasons why the Wizards may finally be ready to pull the trigger on a trade involving Beal is because of the team’s new leadership. Michael Winger, who was recently hired to become the team’s new president, could potentially begin a rebuilding process by dispatching Beal to another team for multiple assets.
The Heat have regularly been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Beal if the Wizards were to trade him. It’s uncertain what kind of package the Wizards would want from the Heat or other teams in the event he’s made available.
He signed a contract extension last year after opting out of the final year of his last deal. He earned $43.3 million in the first year of the new deal and could make a whopping $57.1 million for the last season of it.
Beal has a player option for the final year of his current contract. That costly amount that could become a huge burden for the Heat if he continues to suffer injuries. Such a prospect isn’t likely to deter the Heat, who continue to search for ways to win the franchise’s first title since 2013.
