The Milwaukee Bucks did endless things to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy over the last decade, but one thing they couldn't do was acquire Bradley Beal. While they tried several times, they could not secure him via trade or free agency despite Giannis naming the guard as someone he would've liked to suit up with, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Kevin Arnovitz from a 2020 article.
Now, the Miami Heat, Giannis' new team, have a chance to grant him that opportunity.
Heat have been eyeing Bradley Beal
According to the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang, the Heat have been in contact with Beal's camp within the last several weeks. The Heat are known to covet shooting, and while their main target in Klay Thompson would be a dream scenario, that appears to be put on pause for the moment. If no deal for Thompson materializes, Beal could be a fine low-cost Plan B.
Beal might not be the player he once was when Giannis first expressed an interest in teaming up. However, he can still perform. He was limited to just six games last year due to injury, but in the year prior, he averaged 17 points on 38.6 percent 3-point shooting. If Beal can get back into that form, he could certainly be a useful piece to a Miami team that needs another shooter.
The two could finally join forces after several failed attempts by Milwaukee.
Bucks chased Bradley Beal for quite some time
Giannis' interest in playing with the All-Star first bubbled to the surface in 2020 before the Bucks got Jrue Holiday instead. The results speak for themselves there. In 2023, Shams Charania, formerly of The Athletic, mentioned the Bucks as a suitor for the guard before he was ultimately shipped to the Phoenix Suns. Milwaukee instead got Damian Lillard, which was certainly a splashier move.
Last summer, though, it felt like the Milwaukee Bucks genuinely could have used Beal. After securing a buyout from the Suns, the Bucks had interest in the guard, per Jake Fischer (subscription required). Milwaukee could have used a starting shooting guard of Beal's caliber in their last-gasp attempt to save the Giannis era, but he ultimately went to the Clippers.
Now, after all this time, Beal is within Giannis' and Miami's reach. Time will tell if the Heat can get a deal across the finish line to appease their new superstar.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Add us as a preferred source on Google