This current incarnation of the Miami Heat has reached its peak.

The Jimmy Butler-led Heat has been a fun era notable for the team’s grit and it’s overachieving nature. However, what the 2023 NBA Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets exposed was the team’s limitations under its current roster structure.

If Miami is to have any real hope of remaining a title contender entering next season, they need to make a trade for another star.

To no one’s surprise, the Heat are expected to emerge as a potential suitor for a trade involving Washington Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal, according to a report from Shams Charania of Stadium.

“Expect the Miami Heat to emerge as significant suitors for Bradley Beal… I’m told another team looming as a potential suitor...the Milwaukee Bucks.”

If the Wizards opt to rebuild, Beal — who has a no-trade clause — would certainly welcome a trade to the defending Eastern Conference Champions as a third star alongside Butler and Adebayo.

While Beal’s contract is certainly bloated — he’s the sixth-highest paid player in the NBA at an annual average salary of $50.2 million — the Heat should be in desperation mode when it comes to making a move for another star.

A potential trade package featuring Kyle Lowry ($29.7 million), Victor Oladipo’s expiring $9.5 million player option and Caleb Martin’s $6.8 million deal would be enough capital to swing a potential Beal trade to Miami.

The offensive ceiling of this Butler-led team surrounded by a cast of undrafted three-point shooting role players was on full display during their five-game series loss to the Nuggets.

The Heat struggled to score against a Nuggets squad that ranked 15th in defensive rating during the 2022-23 season and a lineup that didn’t feature a single All-Defensive Team selection.

The Heat’s inadequacy on the offensive end was glaring during the series-clinching loss to the Nuggets in Game 5. Despite holding Denver to 5-of-28 shooting (17.8%) from beyond the arc, the Heat failed to capitalize, scoring just 89 points in Game 5.

It wasn’t a mirage, as Miami struggled to score during the entire series, scoring under 96 points in four of their five games. Unsurprisingly, they all happened to be losses. During the five-game Finals series, the Heat averaged just 96.4 points per game.

Meanwhile, Butler — who had been the MVP of the playoffs prior to the NBA Finals — struggled drastically on the game’s biggest stage, going 5-of-18 from the field (.278 field goal percentage). He failed to make an impact until the closing minutes, scoring just 10 points through the first 43 minutes of Game 5.

The series was a microcosm of why the Heat struggled to make it into the playoffs as an eighth seed, not clinching a playoff spot until the final play-in game. Before their miraculous playoff run, Miami was a mediocre team during the entire regular season, ranking dead last in the league with 109.5 points per game.

The Heat have consistently finished as one of the top teams in recent seasons, led by two solid stars in Butler and Bam Adebayo and a supporting cast that exemplifies “Heat Culture,” featuring seven undrafted players on this past year’s roster. They’ve advanced to two NBA Finals and came within a game of appearing in a third during the 2021-22 season.

However, this is a superstar’s league. And the Nuggets’ star duo — Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray — were clearly a level above the Heat’s own star duo.

If the Heat acquire a legit star guard in Beal — he averaged over 30 points per game in two consecutive seasons — they’d be the favorites to win the Eastern Conference entering the season.

If Miami stands pat and continues to rely on their current formula, they’re only going to regress. The Heat aren’t going to advance to a second consecutive NBA Finals with the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics — two teams will also be involved in the Beal sweepstakes — looming in the wings.

It’s been a nice run for a team that perfectly exemplifies “Heat Culture.” But it’s time for the franchise to start winning championships again. The only way they can start doing that is by making a trade for Beal or another star player.