{"id":371004,"date":"2026-08-14T03:54:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T03:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/371004\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T03:54:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T03:54:34","slug":"miami-heat-lose-key-option-while-waiting-for-klay-thompson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/371004\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami Heat Lose Key Option While Waiting for Klay Thompson"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Phoenix\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

DALLAS, TX – MARCH 9: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball as Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns defends during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 9, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Miami Heat<\/a>\u2019s attempt to finish their roster without sacrificing flexibility became more difficult Thursday when Bradley Beal<\/a> returned to the Los Angeles Clippers<\/a> on a contract Miami was not positioned to match.<\/p>\n

Beal agreed to a two-year, $13.2 million contract with a player option in the second season, agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania<\/a>. The deal came after Beal declined his $5.6 million option and explored free agency before deciding to continue rehabilitating from hip surgery in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The three-time All-Star appeared in only six games last season, averaging career lows of 8.2 points and 1.7 assists while shooting 37.5% from the field.<\/p>\n

Yet the Clippers still committed an average of $6.6 million per season to bring him back. Miami could offer Beal only a veteran-minimum contract without spending money it has reserved for another target.<\/p>\n

Beal was not merely a speculative option for the Heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Heat has had conversations with free agent forward DeMar DeRozan<\/a>\u2019s camp in the aftermath of [LeBron] James<\/a> picking the 76ers<\/a>, but there\u2019s no deal at this point and it\u2019s unclear if there will be one,\u201d the Miami Herald\u2019s Barry Jackson<\/a> reported in July. \u201cThough the Heat spoke with Bradley Beal\u2019s camp earlier this season, waiting on Thompson remained the preference as of the end of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beal\u2019s decision now removes one of Miami\u2019s alternatives.<\/p>\n

Heat Preserving Money for Klay Thompson\"Dallas\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Getty\u00a0Klay Thompson<\/a> remains the Miami Heat\u2019s preferred target, but waiting for the Dallas Mavericks to buy him out is a risky proposition.<\/p>\n

The Heat have preserved approximately $6.5 million of their midlevel exception for a possible run at Klay Thompson if the Dallas Mavericks<\/a> eventually grant him a buyout.<\/p>\n

Thompson remains under contract for approximately $17.5 million next season. Dallas has preferred to explore trades, leaving Miami waiting for a separation that may not happen before training camp \u2014 if it happens at all.<\/p>\n

Miami has 12 players under standard contracts and must add at least two more to reach the NBA\u2019s regular-season minimum of 14. If the Heat keeps its midlevel money untouched for Thompson, it has only minimum contracts available for those openings.<\/p>\n

Beal offered a logical fallback. His return to the Clippers means Miami\u2019s patience now carries one fewer safety net.<\/p>\n

Beal Deal Could Reset DeRozan\u2019s Market\"Sacramento\"Sacramento<\/p>\n

Getty\u00a0DeMar DeRozan could help the Miami Heat fill up the void left by Tyler Herro<\/a>. But the Miami Heat are only willing to offer him the veteran minimum deal.<\/p>\n

Beal\u2019s contract also creates a potentially useful comparison for DeRozan\u2019s representatives.<\/p>\n

The six-time All-Star was considerably healthier and more productive last season. DeRozan started all 77 games he played for Sacramento, averaging 18.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 49.7% from the field.<\/p>\n

Beal played six games before his season ended.<\/p>\n

That does not guarantee DeRozan will receive comparable money. The number of teams with meaningful spending power has dwindled, and his limited 3-point shooting complicates his fit beside Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, asking DeRozan to accept the minimum becomes a tougher sell after Beal secured $13.2 million, a second season and a player option despite his recent injury history.<\/p>\n

Thompson remains Miami\u2019s preference because his shooting addresses the roster\u2019s clearest weakness. But every day the Heat waits, another alternative can disappear.<\/p>\n

Beal already has.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty DALLAS, TX – MARCH 9: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball as Bradley…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371005,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-371004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371004\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}