Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Futures market has lost Beal as backcourt option
MIAMI — Scratch Bradley Beal from both the short-term and longer-term Miami Heat wish lists, with the All-Star guard agreeing to a two-year extension Thursday with the Washington Wizards.
The extension takes Beal out of 2021 free agency, when the Heat again are expected to return to the cap-space race. The nuances of the agreement also make Beal ineligible to be traded this season.
“I just felt comfortable with where we were going,” Beal said Thursday of the Wizards. “It looked promising for me.”
Beal’s agreement keeps him under contract through 2022-23, with the second season on the extension a player option.
With the extension, it becomes less likely that Washington would move the former University of Florida guard in the interim It also moves his next freeagency window beyond the contract term of Heat offseason free-agent addition Jimmy Butler, who is signed through 2022-23, with that season an option year on his contract.
Beal faced a Monday decision for his option deadline, with speculation that the Wizards, likely without injured guard John Wall this season, would otherwise consider a trade.
“The whole summer was, ‘You need to go here, you need to go there, you shouldn’t sign this,’ ” Beal said. “That’s easier said than done. It was just set up perfectly.
“It put me in a position to have a little bit of control in it as well.”
Several Heat trade permutations for Beal, 26, had been speculated in recent weeks and months, including ones that revolved around emerging swingman Justise Winslow and 2019 first-round pick Tyler Herro, as well as the expiring contract of guard Goran Dragic.
Now the Heat would either have to move to an alternate trade target in order to pair Butler with a second All-Star or refocus potential uses of 2021 salary-cap space.
Beal’s extension guarantees him $130 million over the next four seasons, just shy of the $141 million Butler is due from the Heat over that period.
The Heat earlier this year, in the wake of the Butler signing, had been linked to trade interest in Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul. Westbrook instead was dealt by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets for Paul, who remains with the Thunder.
Throughout his extension negotiations with the Wizards, Beal had been aware of Heat interest.
“It’s hard to avoid it — I have a phone, so I see it all,” Beal told NBCSports Washington, including when he posted photos of his son on social media.
“I can post a picture of Deuce and someone will be like, ‘Man, he needs some Miami sun!’ and I’m like ‘OK?’ It’s a great thing that a lot of people love your game and want you on their team, but I love the situation I have too.”
Among those who still could potentially be free agents in 2021 are Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Blake Griffin, Jrue Holiday, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Victor Oladipo, DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Gordon Hayward, Otto Porter and Paul. Several of those players, like Beal, have the option of signing extensions in the interim.