Damian Lillard was not the only franchise player who was linked to the Miami Heat during the offseason. The team just wasn’t as interested in the other option.
Former Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal was traded to the Phoenix Suns in June. The Heat were reportedly in the mix for his services but ultimately passed on the 3-time All-Star before he was dealt.
The decision from team president Pat Riley and co. had a lot to do with holding out for a potential Lillard deal. But according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Heat also weren’t convinced Beal was much of an upgrade over Tyler Herro. Lowe discussed Miami’s stance on an episode of his “Lowe Post” podcast last week.
“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 better than Tyler Herro going forward. We just don’t think the upgrade is worth it,’” said Lowe.
The Miami Heat didn’t think Bradley Beal was that much of an upgrade, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe
“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 better than Tyler Herro going… pic.twitter.com/ZCvFEScaWC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 14, 2023
Beal is a proven All-Star who has had a few big moments in the postseason during his career. However, he has struggled to stay healthy of late. Beal has failed to play in more than 60 games in any of the last four seasons.
Herro also earns significantly less than Beal. The Heat guard is set to receive $93 million in salary over the next three seasons. Beal will make $151 million — nearly $60 million more than Herro — over that same span.
Herro could very well have a career arc similar to Beal going forward. Both are shooting guards who can provide an instant 20 points on any given night.
Beal averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 50 games for the Wizards last season. Herro posted norms of 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 67 games for the Heat.
