The Miami Heat may very well make some shakeups during the 2024 NBA Offseason. Even if the 2023-24 season didn’t end the way they would have liked, they could be in for an upgrade. For example, they could get someone like Bradley Beal.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes proposed the following trade that would the Phoenix Suns star to the Heat in an April 30 story.
Heat get: Beal
Suns get: Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson,
The Miami Heat stand out as a potential trade partner, especially since the Heat finished the regular season ranked only 21st overall in offensive rating and could use Beal’s scoring and playmaking. Beal would join a core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and others without Miami giving up any future first-round picks.
Hughes added that this trade requires moving parts to be agreed to.
“This trade would require Beal’s blessing since he possesses a no-trade clause, and Richardson would need to pick up his $3.0 million player option for next season.”
Like the Heat, the Suns’ season ended in the first round, which raises many questions about their future. One is what they’ll do with Beal, who just finished the second year of a five-year, $251 million contract.
Bradley Beal Wanted to Play for Miami in 2023
When the Washington Wizards made Beal available via trade during the 2023 offseason, he chose his own destiny because of his no-trade clause. After the Wizards traded him to the Suns, Beal admitted that his first choice was the Heat.
Beal explained the process of events in an October 23, 2023 story with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears.
“So, my initial favorite was Miami,” Beal told Spears. “And so, we call Miami. Pat [Riley] says well, I’ll go talk to Micky [Arison] and figure it out. So he goes, talks to Micky, we go, we hear back [New York] Knicks, Sacramento, Brooklyn a little bit, and then it was Milwaukee, and it was one more big team … And that was kind of one of the most difficult things about every trade and every team. And I respect and love every team, but a lot of them just couldn’t do it because the money was just so high.”
Beal then explained why a Heat trade did not happen then.
“I’m like, ‘OK, what’s Miami doing? Dragging feet.’ And eventually it came to a point to where Miami said they just can’t do it,” Beal said. “But it was an eye-opener for sure. And that’s why I said I went into everything kind of open-minded and with an open slate. And out of nowhere here comes a dark horse in Phoenix and their aggressiveness pushed me over the top.”
Bradley Beal’s Last Suns Playoff Performance
The Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Suns in the first round. Doing so made them fall very short of their title aspirations. Even worse, Beal did not hold his end. Not only did he foul out, but he finished with nine points on four-for-13 shooting from the field. If that’s not enough, once he fouled out, he brushed off a high five from Frank Vogel.
Beal may have been frustrated more than anything else, but such action may indicate he would be down for another fresh start, like in Miami.
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Proposed Trade Sends Heat $251 Million All-Star Guard