Why didn’t Heat trade for Beal? Heat offers explanation. Also, Cain reacts and injury updates

Three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal wanted to be traded to the Miami Heat this past offseason, but he didn’t get his wish. Instead, the Washington Wizards traded Beal to the Phoenix Suns in June.

It turns out Beal’s no-trade clause that gave him the power to choose his new team also worked against him in this case. The Heat went on the record on Monday to confirm, what the Miami Herald previously reported, that Beal’s no-trade clause was the deal-breaker.

The Heat wanted Beal to waive his no-trade clause, but Beal wasn’t willing to do it even if it meant being dealt to Miami. The Suns were willing to accept Beal with his no-trade clause.

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Miami’s explanation comes in the wake of Beal telling ESPN and Andscape’s Marc Spears that the Heat was his “initial favorite” trade destination but the Heat was “dragging feet” during the process.

“So, my initial favorite was Miami,” Beal told Spears. “And so, we call Miami. [Heat president] Pat [Riley] says well I’ll go talk to [owner] Micky [Arison] and figure it out. So he goes, talks to Micky, we go, we hear back from the Knicks, Sacramento, Brooklyn a little bit, and then it was Milwaukee and it was one more big team. So, I didn’t like Knicks. I didn’t like Sac from the standpoint they were still a little too young, but they have amazing young guys, young pieces, and they both would’ve had to trade young pieces to get me. And that was kind of one of the most difficult things about every trade and every team. And I respect and love every team, but a lot of them just couldn’t do it because the money was just so high.”

Beal, 30, is in the second season of a five-year, $251 million contract. He’s due $46.7 million this season, which makes him the sixth-highest paid player in the league.

“I’m like, ‘OK, what’s Miami doing? Dragging feet,” Beal continued during the interview that was posted on Andscape. “And eventually it came to a point to where Miami said they just can’t do it. And that kind of was like a gut punch. I was like, ‘Dang, that was my spot.’ But it was eye-opener for sure. And that’s why I said I went into everything kind of open-minded and with an open slate. And out of nowhere here comes a dark horse in Phoenix and their aggressiveness pushed me over the top.”

Like Beal, seven-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard also listed the Heat as his preferred trade destination this summer. But there was a fundamental disagreement between the Heat and Portland Trail Blazers on what constituted sufficient trade compensation for Lillard, and Portland never expressed much interest in what Miami was willing to offer before eventually dealing him to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Heat opens the regular season on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center.

CAIN’S REACTION

While guard Dru Smith and forward Cole Swider learned of their promotions at the end of the preseason on Friday night, forward Jamal Cain learned there would be no such promotion for him.

Cain, 24, will begin the season on a two-way contract with the Heat for the second straight year after the team instead promoted Smith from a two-way contract to a standard deal. Swider’s Exhibit 10 contract was then converted to a two-way deal to fill Smith’s open two-way slot.

Smith fills the open spot as the 14th player on the Heat’s standard roster for the start of the regular season.

“I’m happy for Dru. Dru deserves it,” Cain said following Monday’s practice. “He’s been here for three years and he’s been working his butt off. So for one, I’m happy for Dru. But I feel like I did the necessary things to earn it. But my time just hasn’t come yet. I’m going to still continue to work and I’m still waiting on that moment.”

Cain’s disappointment stems from the fact that he thought he would be moved to a standard contract after flashing his growth during the preseason. He totaled 45 points while shooting an efficient 18 of 32 (56.3 percent) from the field and 8 of 12 (66.7 percent) from three-point range and 31 rebounds (15 offensive and 16 defensive) in 81 minutes over the Heat’s second, third and fourth preseason games.

“I feel like I put my best foot forward, for sure,” Cain said. “Obviously, it wasn’t enough.”

One of the big reasons the Heat chose to promote Smith over Cain is Smith fills a positional need. The 25-year-old Smith joins Kyle Lowry as the only true point guards on Miami’s standard roster following the departure of guard Gabe Vincent in free agency this past summer.

The Heat has also been encouraged by how Smith has fit around the Heat’s best players in practices, enough to feel comfortable to play him spot minutes in the regular season if the situation calls for it.

“Just to keep doing what I’m doing,” Cain said of the feedback he’s received from Heat coaches. “Honestly, to keep doing what I’m doing, but at a higher pace, higher rate. That’s pretty much it. Just continue to do it, but just show that you can do it over a long period of time.”

As a player on a two-way contract, Cain will be allowed to be on the Heat’s active list for as many as 50 regular-season games but is not eligible for the playoffs.

“Everybody’s path is different,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Monday when asked about Cain’s situation. “You can’t get into the comparison game. We’re encouraged by Cain’s progress. We like having him still part of the program. We want to develop him. We see a lot of positives there. Everybody should be gunning for a roster spot, but these two-way spots are vital. They’re really important, particularly with us.”

INJURY REPORT

The only Heat players who did not take part in Monday’s practice were forward Haywood Highsmith (left MCL sprain), guard Josh Richardson (sore right foot) and two-way contract guard R.J. Hampton (illness).

Highsmith, who was expected to be part of the Heat’s opening night rotation, is the only Heat player who has been definitively ruled out for the start of the regular season. The Heat announced Thursday that Highsmith’s injury will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Richardson said Monday that he hopes to play in the Heat’s regular-season opener, but he still has not returned to practice since hurting his foot during a preseason game last week.

However, Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. continues to move closer to his return after missing the Heat’s final four preseason games because of a strained left groin. Jaquez, 22, went through most of Monday’s practice.

The Heat will practice again Tuesday before beginning the regular season on Wednesday.