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The Heat have been linked to Beal for years, and they may finally get their opportunity to pounce soon. The Athletic’s story named the Eastern Conference champs as one of two teams expected to be prominent suitors. And as we saw in the NBA Finals, they could certainly use his help.

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I’m not sure Milwaukee would be Beal’s first choice, but it’d be hard for him to decline the opportunity to chase titles next to Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks put together an offer compelling enough for the Wizards. They’re the other team expected to be a prominent suitor for Beal, so it sounds like the Bucks will try.

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The Warriors were reported to have explored a trade for Beal during their two-year playoff hiatus, so we know there was at least some interest in the player at some point. The only question is if they’re able to cut emotional ties to Klay Thompson to make a shrewd business decision that actually improves the roster and extends their title window.

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The Knicks had internal discussions about exploring a Beal trade in the summer, SNY’s Ian Begley reported. Now that they might finally get the opportunity to pursue him, they can’t be ignored as a realistic option after reaching the conference semifinals. New York whiffed on Donovan Mitchell last summer, but Beal would make Knicks fans forget all about that.

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The Lakers explore practically every option to improve this roster, whether those options are realistic or not. For now, it sounds like their preferred option is Kyrie Irving, but if the Mavericks are unwilling to engage in a sign-and-trade as they reportedly have been so far, maybe the Lakers turn their attention to Beal next.

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Philly’s standing on this list is really contingent on what James Harden does. If he re-signs with the Sixers, they drop down and probably off the list completely. However, it sounds like Harden is really considering a Rockets reunion, which would leave a gaping hole at shooting guard that Beal could fill. The only reason Philly isn’t higher is because Philly Voice’s Kyle Nubeck reported the Sixers aren’t interested in taking on Beal’s salary.

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Dallas wants to keep Kyrie Irving as Luka Doncic’s backcourt mate. But in a potential world where they agree to sign and trade Irving to LA, Beal gives them a fascinating option to replace one all-star guard with another that is perhaps a better fit next to Doncic. This could even potentially be a three-way deal.

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The Celtics have Jaylen Brown, who’s eligible for a massive extension this summer. And reports suggest he’s their top priority this summer, as he should be. Once they get Brown locked up, they don’t need Beal. However, I think they could certainly put together a compelling case to land him if they tried. Beal’s close relationship with Jayson Tatum is well known, and are we sure Brown even wants to be in Boston?

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The tough part with the Rockets is we don’t know how close they are to contending — or whether James Harden is coming back. If Harden returns to Houston, that probably stops a Beal trade. And if he doesn’t, would Beal even waive his no-trade clause to go there? They want to compete again, and new coach Ime Udoka made that expectation very clear during his introductory press conference. But they’d need to make a lot more moves in the offseason.

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Here’s the obligatory Blazers mention, because yeah, Damian Lillard is the other guy who’s been clinching to fading dreams of winning a title with the team that drafted him. Fans would love to see those two players link and build on the same squad. But it’s probably not all that realistic considering the make-up of Portland’s roster and its need for size, particularly on the perimeter.