The Miami Heat emerged as a natural landing spot for Bradley Beal when it was first revealed that he and the Phoenix Suns were working toward a buyout. But now that Beal has signed with the LA Clippers, the Heat may have just been saved from a potential franchise-altering mistake.

Beal will join a loaded Clippers team, while the Heat must rebound after losing a potential free-agent target. Even though the move for Norman Powell significantly dropped Miami’s odds of signing Beal, it was still a possibility that was considered off the table.

It’s not that Beal would’ve been a bad signing for the Heat. But signing Beal would not only have crippled the development of their young core, but it would also have sent the wrong message to the fan base.

Signing Beal would’ve complicated the development of Kasparas Jakucionis and Pelle Larsson. He probably also would’ve taken minutes from Davion Mitchell, who looked promising down the stretch for the Heat.

The Heat are no longer looking for the quick fix

Perhaps most importantly, if the Heat had signed Beal, it would’ve proved that the team had no long-term plan and that they were still trying to use band-aids to cover up the team’s big-picture questions. There’s an argument to be made that has been the team’s biggest issue of late.

It’s a breath of fresh air to see the Heat prioritize the big picture rather than making a move that would’ve been short-sighted and one that wouldn’t have offered much payoff.

The addition of Beal certainly would’ve been nice and there’s a portion of the fan base that would’ve been excited; another big part of it would’ve sold themself on it. But, at the end of the day, I’m not sure it would’ve been the best move for the Heat.

For better or worse, the Heat appears to be genuinely looking to let their young core prove themselves, while also keeping their options open to make a big move during the summer of 2026.

Who knows if this most recent approach will end up working out for the Heat, but it is clear they are no longer looking to rely on the quick fix. Signing Beal would’ve been the exact definition of that. The fact that the Heat avoided such a move, willingly or not, will prove to be the best possible decision for this franchise moving forward.