Sports
NBA Rumors: Heat Didn't Think Bradley Beal Was '$30M Better' Than Tyler Herro – Bleacher Report
The Miami Heat did not believe that Bradley Beal was “$30 million better” than Tyler Herro during trade conversations with the Washington Wizards this summer, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
“I think that was a vote of confidence in Tyler Herro. From what I heard, the Heat looked at that situation and said ‘We don’t think Bradley Beal, who’s…seven years older than Tyler Herro, is 30 million dollars better than Tyler Herro going forward,” Lowe said, via The Lowe Post (starts at 15:40). “We just don’t think the upgrade is worth it.”
The Wizards eventually traded Beal to the Phoenix Suns for a package that included Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, four future first-round pick swaps, and six future second-round picks.
Miami would have likely needed to include Herro in order to top Phoenix’s offer, and it’s clear that they weren’t willing to give up the former Sixth Man of the Year award winner.
It’s worth noting that Beal signed a five-year, $251 million contract in 2022. This includes a $57 million player option for the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, Herro is entering the first year of a four-year, $130 million rookie-scale extension that he signed in 2022.
After an incredible postseason performance from Jimmy Butler that resulted in the Heat winning the Eastern Conference, many expected the team to trade for another star to help them contend for a title after losing in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
Beal’s name came up in rumors almost instantly, as his departure from a rebuilding Wizards team was considered a certainty.
Superstar point guard Damian Lillard was also on Miami’s radar after he specifically requested a trade to South Beach.
Beal ultimately ended up with the Suns while Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that Miami defeated in five games during its first-round playoff series last season.
The Heat re-tooled their roster after missing out on the pair of star scorers. They lost rotation pieces such as Gabe Vincent, Victor Oladipo, and Max Strus in free agency before replacing them with R.J. Hampton, Josh Richardson, and first-round rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Miami will attempt to return to the playoffs and defend their title as reigning Eastern Conference champions while simultaneously waiting for the next star to ask for a trade.