The Miami Heat seem to have turned their attention from a trade for MVP James Harden to prospective scoring champion Bradley Beal.
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Both Houston and Washington have had lacklustre starts to the season, but the Rockets have at least shown a spark to their game. It seems they might still be able to salvage their season with James Harden. They’re now 3-5, but have an easy run of games in January to help consolidate their standing.
The Wizards, however, have been wretched on the defensive end. Bradley Beal even admitted he’d rather have a parked car defending their paint than his teammates, such was their state on that end. They’ve conceded over 100 points in each of their 10 games so far, and are only 3-7.
Having already traded franchise player Bradley Beal, it might perhaps be time to begin the tank. A tank commander like Russell Westbrook does not come around very often.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor speculates that Miami might trade for Bradley Beal
KOC wrote this in his latest column regarding the Harden trade rumors:
“Miami shouldn’t qualify as an under-the-radar team since it was involved in public trade reports for Harden, but it was frequently mentioned nonetheless. The Heat have cooled on those discussions in recent weeks, though they could put together an offer built around Tyler Herro.”
“Following their Finals run, the Heat are off to a bumpy start, with a 4-4 record and the 23rd-ranked offensive rating. League sources expect Miami to remain in the race for either Harden or Beal.”
“But the fact the Heat can only offer their 2027 first-round pick hurts their odds of making a splash, and as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst first reported in December, that caused early discussions with Houston to fizzle.”
Could Bradley Beal end up the next star traded, not James Harden?
New @ringer story breaking down the state of blockbuster trade possibilities, whether the Rockets can be good enough to keep Harden happy, and if Beal and the Wizards can save their season: https://t.co/IqIfS3KeHA
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) January 11, 2021
It seems the Heat do not have the best assets to secure a trade for the stud scorer. But you can always expect the likes of Pat Riley to come up with a viable offer if they really did want him.