The Los Angeles Clippers came out on top in the race for Bradley Beal after he reached a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Beal finalized the buyout on Wednesday and is expected to sign a two-year, \$11 million contract with the Clippers.
After spending over a decade stuck in mediocrity with the Washington Wizards, it looked like Bradley Beal’s career had new life when he joined forces with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant in Phoenix. But that superstar trio never lived up to expectations, and Beal often felt like the odd man out.
Remarkably, Beal held the NBA’s only no-trade clause—though few teams were eager to take on his massive contract anyway. He was still owed close to \$111 million before agreeing to a buyout on Wednesday.
Now, that burdensome deal is behind the Suns, allowing them to shift their focus entirely to building around Booker, who signed a two-year extension worth over \$70 million per year earlier this offseason. Phoenix also moved Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 overall pick, which became Duke center Khaman Maluach.
As for Beal, the Clippers—always savvy when it comes to undervalued assets—were quick to scoop him up.
Bradley Beal is still just 32, so there’s a chance a fresh start could help. But he’s stepping into a veteran-heavy roster in Los Angeles, joining Kawhi Leonard (34) and James Harden (35).
Despite the addition, the Clippers still feel like the second team in their own city, stuck in the shadow of the Lakers. Even with a new “big three,” they don’t appear ready to compete with Western Conference powers like Luka Dončić’s Mavericks or whatever version of a LeBron-led team emerges this offseason.
To their credit, the Clippers finished as the No. 5 seed in last year’s highly competitive West and pushed the Denver Nuggets to seven games in the first round. Still, adding Beal doesn’t seem to significantly raise their ceiling.
Oddsmakers seem to agree—the Clippers’ +3000 championship odds for the 2025–26 season didn’t budge after signing Beal.
The reality is, Beal hasn’t shown he can be a difference-maker in a big three setup, especially in the rugged Western Conference. It’s surprising the Suns managed to offload his massive contract—and even more surprising that he landed another deal so quickly.
