What will Bradley Beal do now? Now that the Celtics handed LeBron to the 76ers. Now that James isn't taking his talents to South Beach.
Before the future first-ballot Hall of Famer chose the City of Brotherly Love, Jake Fischer conveyed on his Bleacher Report live stream that the Heat registered interest in the three-time All-Star.
He also shared that the intel he received was not to rule out Boston.
However, James's decision creates even more questions than answers for the former third-overall pick.
Who is the most likely frontrunner to sign Bradley Beal?
The most likely frontrunner is Miami. Even without arguably the greatest player of all time returning there to flank Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, it's probably the best landing spot for Beal.
On the Heat, he can have a meaningful role and provide a needed scoring boost. The concerns about Antetokounmpo's durability and the strength of the supporting cast raise questions about how far this team will actually go next season.
However, it still represents the opportunity to join a group with tantalizing potential. Furthermore, there is the appeal of a warm climate and no state taxes. All while playing for a winning organization.
From this vantage point, there's likely more mutual interest between Beal and the Heat than between him and the C's.
The Celtics should pass on Bradley Beal
The appeal of going to Boston is the chance to finally team with close friend Jayson Tatum. It's a good idea to keep your franchise player happy. That doesn't mean acting on their every request. However, if Tatum pushes for this move, it will probably happen.
For Beal, there's overlap with potential Miami motives. It's a chance to join an exemplary infrastructure. Like the Heat, a championship outlook might be too ambitious, but the Celtics project to remain towards the top of the Eastern Conference hierarchy.
A crucial part of that viewpoint and their long-term planning is a group of burgeoning young wings. Growth isn't always linear, and one can't assume that all of them will take a step forward in the upcoming campaign. However, any minutes that could go to Beal are better spent investing in Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr.
Between those individuals and the veteran trio of Tatum, Paul George, and Sam Hauser, it's easily the most crowded spot on Boston's depth chart.
Beal only played in six games last season due to a fractured hip. The recently turned 33-year-old probably desires more minutes than he could get from filling the Celtics' 15th roster spot -- a vacancy that could shape Boston's two-way roster battle.
So, while the St. Louis roots that bond him and Tatum have made the possibility of becoming teammates one day a dream scenario for them, this may be nothing more than a scenario Boston has discussed as a matter of due diligence. It could also be an example of doing a player and his agent a favor, helping Beal's market.
Given the importance of developing their promising young wings, in this author's opinion, actually signing the former All-NBA selection is a move the Celtics are better off not making.
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