Bradley Beal trade rumors: How would Wizards superstar fit alongside Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and company

Bradley Beal has found his name in headlines as the NBA's offeason gets underway. The three-time All-Star is likely to be traded from Washington before the start of the season, according to reports.

Beal's massive five-year $251 million contract, which will see him earn $46 million next season, has made things difficult for the Wizards. In addition, Beal also has a no-trade clause which would extend to whatever team he winds up playing for.

The frontrunner to land the three-time All-Star is the Miami Heat, who are fresh off an impressive and improbable playoff run. While the team came up short in the NBA Finals, their run without Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo impressed many.

At the same time, however, their shortcomings highlighted the need for a third player to help Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo carry the load late in games. While the postseason saw the emergence of key roleplayers like Caleb Martin and Max Strus, Kyle Lowry wasn't at 100%. Plus, he'll be 38 before the playoffs begin next season.

Given that and how close they were to capturing an NBA title, it seems as though the team is eager to bolster its roster for next season.

Enter Bradley Beal. With a whopping 22.1 points per game average throughout his career, Beal has proven himself as an elite scorer. While his defense hasn't been at an All-NBA level, the team's heliocentric offense in recent years leads many to believe Beal could be a better defender with more offensive help.

Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal's stats in recent years

Offensively, there's no question that Bradley Beal has what it takes to keep up with the best of the best. During the 2019-20 season, Beal averaged a career-high 30.5 ppg, while posting an impressive 45.5% field-goal percentage.

The following year, Bradley Beal managed to improve on his scoring numbers, averaging 31.3 ppg while shooting 48.5%. In addition, Beal also averaged 1.2 steals per game that season, a number he has hovered around throughout his entire career.

With a career average of 1.1 spg, Beal has shown exactly what the Miami Heat pride themselves on. While he is considered an undersized guard, making contesting jumpshots somewhat difficult, he has managed to rack up deflections.

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Bradley Beal

In addition, his style of play in Washington has shown that he can handle the ball on offense. As the Wizards' primary ball handler, Beal would join Jimmy Butler as the team's primary facilitator.

Two seasons ago, Beal averaged a career-high 6.6 assists per game, a number that again is likely to give confidence to the Miami Heat when weighing his fit.

Given his style of play, it seems as though the major concern regarding the trade is how the Heat could match Beal's contract in a potential trade.

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