Bradley Beal said despite the Miami Heat being his first choice as a landing spot this past summer, the organization ultimately decided against trading for the three-time All-Star.
“My initial favorite was Miami,” Beal told ESPN’s Marc Spears. “And so, we call Miami. [Miami president] Pat [Riley] says well I’ll go talk to [owner] Micky [Arison] and figure it out.”
Miami’s explanation comes in the wake of Beal saying the Heat were his “initial favorite” trade destination but the Heat were “dragging feet” during the process.
According to Beal, he also heard from the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks. Because Beal had a no-trade clause, he was able to veto any trade from the Washington Wizards and could direct his way to his preferred destination. Beal wanted to get traded to the Heat, but Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia called Beal’s agent and kept pushing Beal to consider joining Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix.
“I’m like, ‘OK, what’s Miami doing? Dragging feet,’” Beal said. “And eventually it came to a point to where Miami said they just can’t do it.”
While the Heat did register interest in acquiring Beal, they ultimately pulled out of trade talks because Beal wasn’t willing to waive his no-trade clause, the Heat confirmed on the record Monday. Now in Phoenix, Beal still has a no-trade clause as part of his contract that will pay him more than $200 million over the next four years.
“But it was an eye-opener for sure,” Beal said. “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.”
Did the Heat fumble a chance to add Beal?
That much is up for debate, but it’s clear the Heat valued their flexibility and were unwilling to acquire Beal if it meant that they did not have the ability to trade him without conditions in the future. It’s also worth noting that, at this point in late June, Damian Lillard was believed to be on the verge of requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers and the Heat likely expected to be a prominent player for his services.
Of course, we know how that all turned out, but even with hindsight, it’s hard to argue that deciding against trading for Beal was a mistake.
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