Damian Lillard, Bucks
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(L-R) NBA star Damian Lillard, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Tina Thompson and Jared Vanderbilt of the Los Angeles Lakers attend a game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Las Vegas Aces.
T he Milwaukee Bucks‘ flickering hope of replacing nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard with another former All-Star is dying.
According to The Athletic, the Bucks are likely out in the Bradley Beal sweepstakes as the Los Angeles Clippers, “are likely the leaders to sign” Beal if he secures a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers can offer Beal, a three-time All-Star, up to $5.3 million in salary for the 2025-26 season. Additionally, the Clippers have an opening in their starting unit after trading Norman Powell to the Miami Heat in a three-team deal that brought back forward John Collins.
The Bucks couldn’t compete with the Clippers’ expected offer for Beal aside from their opening in their backcourt in the wake of waiving Lillard and stretching his salary.
The Athletic added that Beal has also considered the Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, citing league sources.
If Beal joins the Clippers, he will be part of a formidable starting unit that already has James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Collins and Ivica Zubac.
Bucks on Bradley Beal’s Radar in 2023
The Bucks have been on Beal’s radar when the Washington Wizards were looking to trade him to in 2023.
“Phoenix wasn’t even in the picture. I am waiting on Miami and Milwaukee, those were kind of like my two,” Beal said on “Run Your Race” podcast in October 2024. “Miami didn’t want to do it for whatever reason, I didn’t know why. Milwaukee I was like on the fence, they were trading [Khris] Middleton who had a player option. He has to opt in to get traded, I don’t think many people are going to opt into getting traded to D.C. at that time. At the time, we weren’t good and weren’t winning.”
Middleton ultimately ended up in Washington in February for Kyle Kuzma, who hasn’t panned out for the Bucks.
On the other hand, Beal’s two-year stint in Phoenix was miserable with no playoff win to show which leads to this looming buyout.
Reunion With Malcolm Brogdon in the Cards?
With the Bucks a long shot to land Beal, they have explored reuniting with their former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Bucks are one of the eight teams that have expressed interest in Brogdon.
“League sources say that the Wizards are open to sign-and-trade discussions to facilitate Brogdon’s exit and a slew of teams have registered varying levels of interest in the 32-year-old. That list includes the Clippers, Suns and Lakers as well as the Warriors, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Kings and Bucks,” Fischer wrote.
Brogdon was selected by the Bucks in 2016 with the 36th overall pick. He won Rookie of the Year after playing in a career-high 75 games while averaging 10.2 points, 4.2 assists and a career-best 1.1 steals.
However, injuries derailed Brogdon’s career. After his third season, the Bucks did not match the Indiana Pacers’ four-year, $85 million deal offer and decided to part ways with him via sign-and-trade in exchange for future picks.
It turned out to be a smart decision as the Bucks used those picks to land Jrue Holiday later on which led to the Bucks’ championship in 2021.