The Miami Heat are in search of another star to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Could it possibly be Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard?
Bradley Beal
All-Star Bradley Beal has only one year left on his current contract. So, all eyes are now on D.C. this offseason. During the 2020-2021 season, the Wizards expressed that they were not going to deal the superstar at that time when asked. As the season progressed, we saw the Wizards move up the standings to eventually take the final seed in the playoffs. Their reward for escaping the play-in tournament was the Philadelphia 76ers, the No. 1 seed. Many were expecting the Wizards to make the playoffs before the season began but after the poor start, this was seen as somewhat of a surprise. But in the end, Philly handled Washington quickly (five games) for an early first-round exit.
Following the playoffs and in post-game interviews, Bradley didn’t say anything specific about his future, but he didn’t give the Wizards any vote of confidence either. Based on the comments after the series, it seems that Beal could be out of there soon. The Miami Heat are in hot pursuit of snagging the star, as they have been in trade rumors all year. They aren’t the only team, though, as many suitors will be lining up as the next season begins anew.
When asked about there likely being trade rumors this summer following the team’s playoff elimination, Beal referred to his status matter-of-factly. “I mean, I expect them. S—, they’re starting now. It doesn’t change anything. They’re definitely going to increase more this year with me going into the last year of my deal,” Beal said.
At this time, it is unclear as to what will happen in Washington. They may look to trade him before the season begins or during the season if things aren’t going the way they like. But either way, Washington has a proven star who has tons of trade value.
Damian Lillard
With Terry Stotts out as the head coach, many assume the Trail Blazers will look to shake things up this offseason. And this can mean that Damian Lillard is on the move.
Right now, Portland doesn’t have enough skill on defense and they struggle to have any semblance of a team offense outside of their two All-Stars in the backcourt. Lillard has also shown signs of unrest through a social media post recently, which could be hinting at his departure soon.
Several teams, if not the entire NBA, have shown interest in the situation in Portland. Everyone is monitoring the situation very closely in hopes their team has the best package to offer to Portland. The top teams mentioned are the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, along with a few others.
Luckily, the Miami Heat have a promising star in Tyler Herro, who they can include in a trade package. Creating a new big three in South Beach would very well solidify the organization in basketball lore.