Bradley Beal, now with the Phoenix Suns, revealed that he had expected a trade to the Miami Heat before joining his current team.
Beal, speaking on the Club 520 Podcast, explained how Miami was one of his preferred destinations. He mentioned that he was waiting for the Heat to make a move. “I was waiting on Miami to hit me a grounder,” Beal said, via HoopsHype, referring to his hopes of joining the team. Despite his anticipation, the Heat ultimately did not pursue the trade.
Phoenix was not initially in the picture for Beal. He noted that the move to the Suns came unexpectedly. “First off, Phoenix wasn’t even in the picture for me to go to,” Beal shared. “That was a fly ball that came out of left field.”
The 31-year-old also mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks as another potential destination. However, Beal expressed hesitation about the possibility of joining Milwaukee due to concerns about the team trading Khris Middleton. “I was straddling the fence. I didn’t really like that they were trading Khris Middleton,” Beal said.
Ultimately, Beal was traded to the Suns on June 24, 2023. The deal included Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd going to Phoenix in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, draft picks, and pick swaps.
Despite missing 29 games due to injury, Beal finished the 2023-24 regular season averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
