A new report indicates that the Miami Heat could potentially be in the mix to add Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal if he decides to leave the Wizards after the 2021-22 season.
Shams Charania of The Athletic offered some insight on the matter.
“However, the Heat are seen as a legitimate suitor for Beal should he elect to seek a new home, multiple sources said,” wrote Charania. “The Heat have a veteran, championship-ready core in Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo and P.J. Tucker, as well as talented young players in Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Caleb Martin. Miami would need to complete a sign-and-trade to acquire Beal. Overall, teams will continue to keep an eye on the Heat as a legitimate threat to add talent in the years to come.”
Beal’s 2021-22 campaign came to an end last month after he underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. He played in 40 games before his season came to an end, averaging 23.2 points per game.
While that’s an impressive scoring average, it doesn’t compare to Beal’s two previous campaigns, during which he averaged more than 30 points per game in each season.
Beal will turn 29 in June and has 10 seasons of NBA experience under his belt. With a number of seasoned veterans already on the Heat, the addition of Beal would bolster the team’s efforts to win an NBA title.
In his current contract with the Wizards, Beal has a player option for next season worth $36.4 million. While he could choose to stay with the Wizards, playing for the Heat might also be an option that’s on his radar.
The Heat are committed to winning another championship, which is an appealing thing for many players. The Heat currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 47-24 and are looking to make a deep run once the postseason gets underway.
More immediately, the Heat have an important road game on Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.