NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal-To-Heat Deal Could Happen Before 2021 Trade Deadline, Tyler Herro As Main Trade Chip
Since the start of the 2020 offseason, the Washington Wizards have been telling everyone in the league that they have no intention of trading All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal and undergoing a full-scale rebuild. Instead of moving their best player, they swapped the injured John Wall for a healthy Russell Westbrook in order to boost their chances of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the 2021 NBA championship title. However, if things don’t go as planned, rumors surrounding Beal are highly expected to heat up once again before the 2021 trade deadline.
One of the teams currently monitoring Beal’s situation in Washington is the Miami Heat. Now that reigning MVP and DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo has signed a massive contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report wrote that he believes the Heat should activate their Plan B and try acquiring Beal from the Wizards before the 2021 trade deadline. In the potential deal that would send the All-Star shooting guard to South Beach, Hughes suggested that the Wizards would demand a package centered on Tyler Herro, together with at least two future first-round picks and expiring salaries.
“Rather than decline the various 2021-22 options they have for Goran Dragic, Andre Iguodala, Meyers Leonard and Avery Bradley, they can use those as matching salaries in a trade for Bradley Beal. The Washington Wizards should demand Tyler Herro be included as the centerpiece with at least two future first-round picks attached. But from there, the Wizards can take their pick of what’ll essentially be expiring veteran salaries. Washington could pick up whatever options it acquires and flip those contracts at the 2022 deadline for more draft capital or decline them and open up space to use however it sees fit.”
Sacrificing a young and promising talent like Herro would undeniably be a no-brainer for the Heat, especially if it means acquiring a player of Beal’s caliber. Beal’s arrival in South Beach would significantly improve the team’s chances of returning to the NBA Finals and bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2020-21 NBA season. Beal would give the Heat a very reliable scoring option next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, as well as a decent playmaker, perimeter defender, and elite three-point shooter.
Last season, the 27-year-old shooting guard averaged 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. What makes him a more incredible acquisition for the Heat is his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, making him an ideal running mate to a ball-dominant superstar like Butler.
As of now, Beal hasn’t shown any indication that he’s planning to demand a trade from the Wizards. However, he would definitely be intrigued by the idea of joining forces with Butler in Miami. Compared to the Wizards, playing for the Heat would give him a better chance of winning his first championship ring next season.
