The Heat And Bucks Would Reportedly Have Interest In A Bradley Beal Trade

When word broke on Wednesday that the Washington Wizards and Bradley Beal had discussed the potential for a trade this summer (should the team choose to “reset” the roster), there was plenty of wonder as to who could be the team interested in the former All-Star shooting guard.

Beal has four years and more than $200 million left on his deal, meaning making a trade for him is prohibitively difficult, particularly when considering the upcoming CBA restraints on teams that are capped out. Trading for Beal would require a team to believe they are one guard away from contending for a championship, and there are only a handful of squads that could fit that bill.

There are two in the East that Shams Charania reported as being potentially “serious suitors” for Beal: The Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The rumblings about Miami having interest in going after another star have been well known, as they have also been linked to the other very well-paid guard that could potentially hit the trade market in Damian Lillard. Miami also has the kind of contracts that could facilitate a trade for a $50 million man that very few others have, as Kyle Lowry’s $29.7 million expiring deal is exactly the type of contract that is needed to pull this off. If Miami were adding Beal they also might have an eye on moving Tyler Herro, who is a young guard with four years left on his deal that could be enticing to a team looking to reset their timeline.

The Bucks are more fascinating because they would almost have to move Jrue Holiday in a deal for Beal. Holiday’s defense has long been lauded as among the best in the league at the guard position, but he has had well-documented struggles offensively in the playoffs for three straight years now with the Bucks (including their title winning season). Swapping Holiday for Beal in an effort to get more offensive pop, while giving up their most impactful point of attack defender would be a major swing for a title contender, but pairing Giannis with a more explosive scoring guard certainly is intriguing — with Khris Middleton expected to re-sign as well. From the Wizards perspective, there would likely need to be a third team in this deal to provide the picks and/or young pieces that would make this intriguing.

All told, Beal probably won’t fetch a ton in terms of return given his contract (which includes the league’s only true no-trade clause), but Washington can set their sights on getting a young player (i.e. Herro) to try and build around on a new timeline or a first round pick or two to try and re-stock their cupboard.