Suns acquire Heat target Bradley Beal from Washington. Heat hoping Lillard asks for trade

The Miami Heat’s latest attempt to add another star player to its core ended unsuccessfully on Sunday when the Washington Wizards traded three-time All Star guard Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns.

The Heat will now turn its focus to Portland guard Damian Lillard, with the hope that the seven-time All Star guard will ask for a trade. Lillard has not asked for a trade but has said the Heat and Nets would interest him if he does.

Beal, who waived his no trade clause to accept the deal, also would have been willing to be dealt to the Heat, according to a source with direct knowledge. But Washington ultimately preferred the Suns’ offer.

Washington will receive guards Chris Paul and Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks and the ability to swap multiple first-round picks.

Sources close to Beal, the Heat and Wizards said Miami made an offer -- which was believed to be built around Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson -- but Phoenix was more aggressive pursuing the trade in recent days.

Suns owner Matt Ishbia very much wanted to make a highly-impactful move months after buying the franchise, one of the sources said.

It’s unclear how many - if any - Heat first-round picks were part of Washington’s request, or how many the Heat would have been willing to give up.

The Suns acquire the final four years and $207 million of Beal’s deal, and his no-trade clause carries over to his new team.

Paul and Shamet have only $41 million in guaranteed money remaining on their deals, compared with $77 million for Lowry and Robinson.

It’s unclear how soon Lillard will decide whether to remain with the Blazers or ask for a trade. He has been attending some of Portland’s draft prospect workouts; the Blazers have the third overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

The Blazers are determined to improve their team and convince Lillard to stay. Lillard has said he prefers to stay in Portland if the Blazers can build a genuine contender.

It would be highly difficult - if not impossible - for the Heat to get involved in the pursuit of any pricey free agents - such as Brook Lopez, Kyle Kuzma, Kyrie Irving and James Harden - because teams that acquire free agents in sign-and-trades ultimately are hard-capped at $169 million through the end of next June.

The Heat already has $176 million in cap commitments, without even counting free agents Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Kevin Love, Cody Zeller and Omer Yurtseven.

Under terms of the new labor agreement, teams with a payroll of $189 million or more (known as the second apron) cannot use a $5 million taxpayer midlevel exception.

And using the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception ($11 million or so) would hard cap the Heat, so that’s not an option, either.

The Heat owns the 18th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft and can trade that pick, use the pick or use the pick to select a player for another team, as part of a pre-arranaged, unannounced trade.

Miami has the capacity to free up as many as three additional first-round picks that could be used in a trade for Lillard or anyone else.