Bradley Beal Is the Los Angeles Clippers’ Problem Now After Buyout With Phoenix Suns

The Los Angeles Clippers won the Bradley Beal sweepstakes following his buyout from the Phoenix Suns.

ESPN insider Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Beal agreed to a contract buyout with the Suns and plans to join the Clippers on a two-year deal worth $11 million.

After over a decade of rotting away with the Washington Wizards, it seemed like Beal’s NBA career found new meaning when he landed in Phoenix with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. That “big three” never materialized, and Beal was always the odd man out.

Somehow, Beal was also the only player in the NBA with a no-trade clause—not that anybody would really want to touch his contract anyway. He was still owed nearly $111 million before Wednesday’s buyout.

That monstrosity of a contract is finally in the rearview for the Suns, who can now focus solely on rebuilding around Booker. He received a two-year extension worth more than $70 million annually earlier this offseason. The Suns also traded Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 overall pick, which eventually turned into Duke big man Khaman Maluach.

But one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and the Clippers remain great trash collectors.

Beal is only 32 years old, and maybe another fresh start could work. But he’ll join an aging supporting cast in Los Angeles with Kawhi Leonard, 34, and James Harden, 35.

The Clippers are just destined to play second fiddle to the Lakers in Los Angeles. Even with this new big three, they will not hold a candle to Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton and whatever happens with LeBron James as the offseason progresses.

Now, giving the Clippers a little bit of credit: They were the No. 5 seed in a stacked Western Conference last season. They were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the first round. Even with Beal on the roster, their ceiling doesn’t feel much higher than that.

Beal will not move the needle in Los Angeles. The Clippers were +3000 to win the 2025–26 NBA championship before the Beal addition. Their odds remained the same even after the news was announced.

The proof is in the pudding. Nobody is afraid of Beal on the Clippers because we just saw how he contributes in a big three environment in a loaded West.

It’s crazy to think the Suns were finally able to wash their hands of his contract, but it’s even crazier to think he already found another NBA deal.