A clear-cut second Miami Heat target emerges behind Giannis. And Herro, NBA scout weigh in
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo stands atop the list of Miami Heat star targets, but there appears little doubt about who’s No. 2 on that list: Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
According to a source with direct knowledge, the Heat remains very interested in a trade for Beal if the Wizards make him available, and all parties are aware of that. But Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard reiterated Tuesday that “Bradley Beal’s not going anywhere.”
Beal has not asked the Wizards to trade him. If he does, the Heat is expected to be on the list of teams to which Beal would approve a trade, if the Wizards are willing to work with him.
Beal signed an extension with Washington last October that will pay him $28.8 million this year and $34.5 million in 2021-22, with a $37.3 million player option for 2022-23.
One thing handicapping the Heat in a pursuit of Beal: Its lack of tradable draft picks.
Although the Heat can select a player 20th overall on behalf of another team during Wednesday’s NBA Draft, Miami is not permitted to trade any future first-round picks because its 2021 and 2023 picks are owned by Oklahoma City, with protections on the 2023 pick. Miami could ask the Thunder to waive those protections.
Any hypothetical Heat offer for Beal very likely would begin with Tyler Herro, as well as the player Miami selects 20th in Wednesday’s draft, a 2025 first-round pick (if OKC unlocks protections on the Heat’s 2023 pick, thus freeing up the 2025 pick to be traded), perhaps Kendrick Nunn and a player earning significant salary to help facilitate the deal from a cap perspective (either Andre Iguodala or Kelly Olynyk if he opts into $12.2 million by Thursday’s 5 p.m. deadline.)
Because the Heat could create cap space, Miami wouldn’t necessarily need to send away fairly equal salaries to land Beal if the deal were consummated this offseason. But using cap space — instead of operating as an over-the-cap team — would make it somewhat more difficult (though far from impossible) to retain free agents Goran Dragic (a Heat priority) and Jae Crowder.
If a Beal trade materializes, it’s more likely to happen at the trade deadline - if the Wizards are struggling and Beal is unhappy - or next offseason.
Beal, 27, was second in the league in scoring last season at 30.5 points per game, along with 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
If the Wizards make Beal available, Miami would face formidable competition, with Denver among other teams with the assets to make a very strong offer.
Beal has said he’s committed to Washington but added something of a caveat in an interview on Pelicans guard J.J. Redick’s podcast.
“When I signed my deal, I structured it to where I still have some flexibility,” Beal said. “At the end of the day, I still want to win and the organization has to show me we want to win. I want to see what John [Wall] is like as well [after not playing since December 2018 because of a ruptured left Achilles tendon].
“You still want to be able to protect yourself and kind of be selfish in that regard. How can I create some type of flexibility for myself if we aren’t winning and I do choose to get out.
“That’s why [the contract is] two years with one and one as opposed to full three years. And [not being named to] the All-NBA [first, second or third team] screwed me too [which eliminated the chance of a super max contract at this point].”
“Just trying to position myself later down the line... I want to win. They have to show that.”
Beal said teams have been inquiring about trading for him.
“Teams are trying,” he said. “A lot of them are calling. A lot of them are inquiring and putting packages together, trying to see if they can get me. That’s not a secret.”
HERRO ON THE PAST AND PRESENT
Herro remembers his draft night moment, when he learned the Heat would select him with the 13th overall pick last year.
“My agent said that coach [Pat] Riley texted him and then from there I heard it from my agent, and I heard it from the commissioner,” Herro said during a Tuesday night Instagram Live discussion with Heat TV host Jason Jackson.
But before that moment, Herro thought he might go to the Boston Celtics just one pick later.
“We thought I was going to go to Boston at 14,” Herro remembers. “Then Miami took me at 13. I got blessed to come here instead of there.”
These days, Herro is preparing for his second NBA season during a very short offseason. The Heat’s 2019-20 season came to an end just a little more than a month ago on Oct. 11 in the NBA Finals, and next season will begin on Dec. 22 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I just went home after the season back to Milwaukee for a couple days, decompressed and just got to really relax and get my mind off of basketball,” Herro said of what he did immediately after last season ended. “But the season is coming up quick as everybody knows. So just back to work and getting ready to get started again.”
Herro said he has been going through basketball workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena and Miami Columbus High School to prepare for next season.
MORE DRAFT TALK
One scout with a Western Conference playoff team said more teams are wise now to the notion of Kentucky players after seeing their success, especially Bam Adebayo and Herro with the Heat.
Because of the breadth of talent in the Wildcats program and the need for them to fill specific roles, “Kentucky guys don’t fully show what they can do, so that leaves teams thinking you can tap into more,” the scout said.
Of the three Kentucky prospects in this draft (guards Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley and Ashton Hagens), only combo guard Maxey is considered a certain first-rounder, projected to go in the top 18 in most mock drafts.
It’s highly questionable if Maxey would be available when Miami picks at No. 20. ESPN’s Jay Bilas projects him as a lottery pick.
Quickley, a combo guard and skilled three-point shooter, is seen as a second-rounder by most, but an associate insists he will go in the first round. Hagens might go undrafted.
“Maxey is a little undersized [6-3] but is quick with the ball, can play off the bounce, confident player, very competitive,” the scout said. The issue is improving his 29 percent three-point shooting.
There are several other schools who have at least two players both projected for the top 35 — most in Miami’s range at 20 — including Duke (Vernon Carey Jr. and point guard Tre Jones), Washington (power forward Jaden McDaniels and center Isaiah Stewart) and Arizona (power forward/center Zeke Nnaji, shooting guard Josh Green and point guard Nico Mannion).
The Heat has interviewed or worked out or shown some level of interest in all of those players.
“McDaniels’ production has been up and down,” the scout said. “He has a perimeter-oriented game, which could [help in today’s NBA]. But he hasn’t been consistent.
“Stewart is strong, rebounds well, communicates well, finishes with contact around the basket. He’s a little undersized [at 6-9].” And the scout said the question is whether he can develop his jump shot or shoot with range; he was 5 for 20 on threes.
The scout said “all three Arizona guys would fit” with the Heat.
“Nnaji has range, can rebound, good free throw shooter [76 percent] and he’s going to get better,” the scout said. “Green could be a prototypical 3-and-D guy. Mannion is a playmaker who has a good feel for the game and can shoot it a little bit [53 for 162, 32.7 percent on threes which needs improvement]. I think all three can play meaningful minutes as rookies.”
Green, in fact, is projected to go to Miami at No. 20 in ESPN’s latest mock draft.
▪ One player who interviewed with Miami indicated the Zoom session included Heat executives Andy Elisburg, Adam Simon and Chet Kammerer.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 11:57 AM.
