Top NBA contender eyeing Bradley Beal trade?

A return to the Sunshine State could be in the cards for Bradley Beal.

It was revealed on Wednesday that the Washington Wizards may finally be moving toward trading their three-time All-Star shooting guard Beal. The two sides are in contact about the plans for Beal’s future and may work together on a trade if the Wizards opt to pursue a full-fledged rebuild.

In the wake of the news, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the reigning Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat are expected to be a “prominent” suitor for Beal if he indeed becomes available.

The 29-year-old Beal, who has 30-point-per-game scoring potential when healthy, is armed with a full no-trade clause, meaning he can control his landing spot. That is great news for the Heat, one of the top destinations for star talent (especially now that they have made two NBA Finals appearances in the last four years). Beal also attended college at the University of Florida.

A return package from the Heat would likely start around fellow 2-guard Tyler Herro, who suddenly looks like an expendable piece after Miami won the Eastern Conference with him injured. Breakout stars like Gabe Vincent (a free agent this summer but one who can still be used in a sign-and-trade) and Caleb Martin are also trade options, as are talented veteran salary-filler pieces like Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson.

This is not the first time the Heat have been linked to a trade pursuit of Beal. But now that it looks like they are legitimately just one piece away from an NBA title, we could see Miami’s most aggressive efforts yet.