Report: The Miami Heat Have Made Bradley Beal Their No.1 Target If They Fail To Get Giannis Antetokounmpo Through Trade Or Free Agency. Is Pat Riley Making A Mistake?

The Miami Heat shocked the world this season as they managed to reach the NBA finals when they were projected to be eliminated in the first round before the season started. When Jimmy Butler signed to Miami, the media and fan bases across the NBA were all flabbergasted as virtually everyone suspected that Butler would join a contender. However, he and the rest of the franchise dialled in and, as a result, formed a roster capable of taking the Los Angeles Lakers to six games in the NBA finals while also eliminating the first-seed of the Eastern Conference! Miami has become a fan favourite across the entire NBA as everyone loves a good underdog story. However, according to an article written by Jack Maloney of CBS Sports, the Miami Heat are prepared to take their underdog story to a different plateau. 

For months, the Miami Heat have been rumoured to have interest in pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo in either the regular season or the off-season. However, with reports suggesting that Giannis will either return to Milwaukee or form the greatest superteam in NBA history by joining the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat are pursuing a different player if they fail to attain the current MVP. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reveals that Bradley Beal will become the number one target if attaining the Greek Freak fails. 

If Giannis Antetokounmpo signs a max extension with the Bucks, Washington guard Bradley Beal becomes the No. 1 Heat target if or when he becomes available. The Heat's interest remains very high, according to a source with direct knowledge.

But it likely would take Tyler Herro, probably either Duncan Robinson or Precious Achiuwa, and a 2025 first-rounder (which can be traded only if OKC is willing to unlock protections on Miami's 2023 pick) and veteran cap facilitators (such as Kelly Olynyk) to make a competitive offer. And even that might be topped by Denver, Boston or another team.

If Antetokounmpo stays in Milwaukee and Beal either stays with the Wizards or is traded elsewhere, the next most-likely option would be Indiana guard Victor Oladipo — but only if he returns to an All-Star level.

While Bradley Beal is a special talent in the NBA, is he worth that much for an organization to essentially trade away most of their young talent? The Miami Heat made the NBA finals without Bradley Beal, which entails that this roster has already proved to be lethal in the Eastern Conference. While trading young talent is one factor, this trade also indicates that a significant portion of their shooting depth is also removed. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro are easily the best three-point shooters on the Miami Heat. In addition, Tyler Herro has the potential to become a more versatile Klay Thompson, while Duncan Robinson can shoot virtually anywhere on the court. Even though Bradley Beal is the best player in this trade, is he the best fit for the Miami Heat? 

Trading two guards that excel in their roles while having great chemistry and relationships with players on the roster is far more efficient than risking a trade for an All-Star calibre player that could ruin what the Miami Heat currently has. The Heat proved in the playoffs that having the best roster on paper will not win games but instead, having great relationships and chemistry on and off the court is what will. The Los Angeles Clippers focused on building the greatest roster in NBA history and forgot that building chemistry in today’s NBA would actually bring more success to an organization. For many, the Clippers were the favourites to win the 2020 NBA championship, yet they failed to get past the second round of the playoffs. In contrast, the Miami Heat from the beginning were underdogs, but because of their great chemistry, they managed to use that as fuel and, as a result, made it to the NBA finals while being the first fifth-seed in NBA history to make it that far in the playoffs! For these reasons, trading for the best player isn’t entirely the best solution. Miami should keep Herro and Robinson and try to trade for an elite point guard that can play make and shoot efficiently! 

Trading for Bradley Beal is intriguing as he is, without a doubt, one of the best shooting guards in our league today. His contributions on the offensive end would make the Miami Heat more dangerous in their starting line-up, but their bench would lack that offensive surge that they possessed this season. Having Herro and Robinson makes the Miami Heat more versatile and deep as many other teams would find it difficult to defend their ball movement and shooting. The Boston Celtics, for instance, appeared lost in certain situations when defending the Miami Heat in the conference finals, which affected their offensive schemes as they were unable to get past Eric Spoelstra's zone defence! If Miami is smart, they will keep their young core intact and only trade their core if they can attain Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee. While Bradley Beal is the best player in this potential trade offer, he is certainly not the best option for the Miami Heat as this organization heavily relies on their depth more so than any other team in the NBA.