Getty Images Bradley Beal (right) of the Washington Wizards.
If the Miami Heat want to bolster their championship chances for next season, making a bold trade to bring Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal to South Beach should be in the team’s plans.
The Heat were on the verge of their second NBA Finals appearance in three years but came up just short in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo carried most of the load, scoring 60 of the Heat’s 96 points and anchoring the Miami defense. That’s not to mention that the duo sat a combined two minutes in the matchup.
It’s clear that if the Heat want to get back to the big stage, they’ll need another star who can provide consistent scoring, which is what Beal does best. Bleacher Report called a Heat trade for Beal a no-brainer, proposing three-time All-Star is swapped for Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin (via sign-and-trade), Gabe Vincent and 2022 first-round pick.
That’s quite the haul for the Wizards in what could be a major win-now move by Miami. Here’s what Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz had to say about the proposed blockbuster:
Miami has struggled to generate offense at times this postseason, relying on heroic 40-plus-point performances from Jimmy Butler to win games. Beal, 28, has averaged 29.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and shot 46.6 percent overall the past three years in Washington despite having just 39.7 percent of his two-pointers come off an assist.
This would be the best supporting cast Beal has ever played with, opening up his offensive game while players like Butler, Adebayo and Tucker help cover for any defensive shortcomings.
Heat Seen as Contenders to Land Bradley Beal
Beal is coming off a disappointing year where he played just 40 games for the Wizards and saw his points per game average drop from a whopping 31.3 in 2021 to 23.2 this season. However, he’s still just 28 years old and could be a key piece for a contender like Miami.
The Heat have the assets to facilitate a deal and have been characterized as a legitimate threat to land Beal if he does end up on another team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Heat are seen as a legitimate suitor for Beal should he elect to seek a new home, multiple sources said. 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.
Jimmy Butler Feels He Has to Be Better, Despite Massive Postseason
If the Heat had made the Finals, it would have been in large part to Butler, who added to his legend with a massive postseason. Butler averaged a whopping 27.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in the playoffs, adding better than two steals per game. He also shot 50.6% from the field.
“Jimmy is a great basketball player. He’s a world-class competitor and he knows how to win basketball games,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Game 7. “That’s a talent. And for young players coming into the league, I think that’s a missing talent or skill. It becomes about all the other skills. But that’s what makes Jimmy so unique as a world-class player. He just knows how to compete to win and to compete to not let you lose. That’s an incredible DNA that he has inside of him.”
While Spoelstra sang Butler’s praises, the superstar forward said he needs to be better for the Heat to win a title.
“I didn’t do my job,” Butler said after being eliminated. “Stats don’t mean anything, as I say over and over again. The Boston Celtics did what they came out here to do in this series. I learned that I have to be better, and I will be better.”
Butler is being a leader with that statement, but if those around the Heat locker room are being honest, he just needs more help. Landing someone like Beal would pay huge dividends for Miami — and Butler — going forward.