The Miami Heat may find themselves sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings currently, but questions remain about the team’s ability to get back to the NBA Finals this season.
After all, Erik Spoelstra’s crew faces stiff competition in the Bucks, Sixers, Celtics and others in their bid to get out of the East. Meanwhile, the team’s injury situation continues to be of concern as well.
Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin have both missed a number of games with bumps and bruises recently. Moreover, Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris are still finding their feet after extended absences.
Whether they fall flat in the playoffs or end up winning the whole thing, though, you can bet that team president Pat Riley will be exploring every option to improve the Heat’s roster during the offseason. And there have been rumblings that he’s biding his time until he can make yet another star grab.
To that end, a new report has indicated that Miami may have its sights set on one of the game’s greatest scorers this summer.
Shams: Heat Could Make a Play for Bradley Beal
On Monday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania explored Bradley Beal’s future with the Washington Wizards, noting that the baller and his brain trust have been reevaluating his options on an annual base. He further noted that, in the end, Beal has always doubled down on his commitment to the DC-based franchise.
However, the league insider went on to report that the Heat could end up factoring into the situation this time around:
The Heat are seen as a legitimate suitor for Beal should he elect to seek a new home, multiple sources said…
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.
Although any trade netting Beal would come at a substantial price, Miami may just be willing/able to put together a package worthy of the three-time All-Star.
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Would the Heat Use Herro to Obtain Beal?
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Heat know full well that bringing in the big guns isn’t a cheap play. However, his intel on the situation is that Riley and Co. are ready to make the big sacrifice.
“Some NBA figures familiar with Miami have also suggested [Tyler] Herro could be the odd man out if the Heat see an opportunity to land another superstar alongside their starry veteran trio,” he wrote.
Of course, losing Herro would be tough to stomach for the team and its fans alike. After suffering through a mini-sophomore slump last season, Herro has recovered to average 21.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this season while hitting 39.4% of his triples.
As a result, he’s the runaway favorite for Sixth Man of the Year honors.
That said, Beal is in rarefied air as a scorer, putting up 22.6 points or more per contest for the last six years running and having eclipsed a 30-point average during two of the last three campaigns.
Also — he’s still in his prime at 28 years old and could make for an ideal addition to a core that already includes Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry.
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Heat Considered Landing Spot for Three-Time All-Star: Report