The Heat are keeping the door open on Bradley Beal as they continue sorting through the next wave of roster moves around their revamped core, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Miami has already lined up a star frontcourt built around Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and now the focus has shifted toward adding shooting. Beal is one of the names on that list, with the Heat having been in contact with his representatives as they explore ways to finish out the roster.
Once the Antetokounmpo deal becomes official, Miami will have 12 players under contract. From there, the team still projects to have as much as approximately $6.5MM available to spend via its mid-level exception, which would also leave enough space beneath the first-apron hard cap to add a 14th player on a veteran’s minimum deal.
That said, the Heat are not rushing into anything. Chiang and Jackson report that the team is being careful with its remaining money and would like to see whether one of its targets can be had at a lower number as free agency plays out. Miami may also be waiting on LeBron James, whose potential return would be a possibility because of his history and comfort level with the organization.
How far the Heat are willing to go for Beal remains unclear. He declined a $5.6MM player option with the Clippers, a move that suggests he may be aiming for more than that on the open market. Still, the chance to join a contender in Miami could make a reduced payday more palatable.
The Heat have been connected to Beal before, but never pulled the trigger on a trade. In some of those situations, Beal’s no-trade clause during his Wizards days factored into the picture.
Miami’s search has not been limited to Beal. Khris Middleton and Anfernee Simons have also been linked to the Heat publicly, though it’s still not clear how strongly the team is pursuing either one. Middleton’s connection to Antetokounmpo has fueled speculation, but his injury history makes him a potentially risky way to use one of Miami’s valuable roster spots.
According to Chiang and Jackson, the Heat have not ruled out Middleton, but they also were not in contact with him early in free agency. As for Simons, the Miami Herald duo says the Heat have not made him an offer and believes he may be seeking more than the team is prepared to pay.
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