Heat viewed as legitimate suitor for Wizards' Bradley Beal in offseason, per report

Beal can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason

The Miami Heat may be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but that doesn't mean they're satisfied with their roster. Pat Riley is always ready to go big-game hunting. He added Jimmy Butler in the 2019 offseason, and two years later he nabbed Kyle Lowry as well. Now, the Heat seemingly have their eyes on another top offseason prize for 2022: Bradley Beal. The Heat are viewed as a "legitimate suitor" for Beal if he chooses to seek a new team, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The fit for Miami would be obvious. The Heat rank No. 26 in clutch offense and No. 13 in half-court points per play offensively (per Cleaning the Glass). If this team has a weakness, it's manufacturing baskets in the tightest, slowest moments of big games. Adding a scorer like Beal would go a long way in fixing that, and Miami's defensive infrastructure could protect him on that end of the floor in ways the Wizards largely haven't been able to.

Of course, none of this matters without the consent of both Beal and the Wizards. Beal, currently injured, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and all signs point to a new deal in Washington. Even if he wants to leave, Miami needs Washington's cooperation. They have no path to max cap space, so they would need the Wizards to cooperate in a trade. Ideally, that trade would come before free agency begins with Beal opting into the final year of his deal before getting dealt to the Heat. A sign-and-trade is technically possible, but such a maneuver would hard-cap the Heat, and given their salary structure, such an arrangement might be untenable.

Any trade package for Beal would likely center around young guard Tyler Herro, who is in line to win Sixth Man of the Year. The large contract of Duncan Robinson would probably serve as the salary ballast, and some combination of Miami's young reserves in Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Omer Yurtseven would also likely be available. In addition, the Heat tweaked the protections on a pick they owe Oklahoma City at the deadline, which allows them to trade their 2022 first-round pick as well. 

If Beal becomes available, he'll draw interest from the entire league. But Miami's track record in recruiting is well documented. They have a winning roster, a state without income taxes and the allure of South Beach on their side. If the Heat go all-in on trying to land Beal, they'll be able to make a compelling case to the All-Star guard.