The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the teams that pursued Bradley Beal, but luckily, he plans to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that Beal and Phoenix agreed to a buyout.
Beal's past two seasons in Phoenix didn't go as planned, and that's putting it lightly. The Suns thought they formed a Big Three with Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker. The latter is the only one who is still on the roster, so that's how that worked out.
Phoenix tried to trade Beal, but his no-trade clause proved to be too much for the Suns to overcome. His contract did him no favors, either. Phoenix felt its best option was to agree to a buyout, with Charania reporting that it's likely the Suns will waive-and-stretch the remainder of his contract.
Although some Lakers fans might be disappointed that Beal chose the other LA team, the fact that they didn't have as much money to offer him as the Clippers worked in the Lakers' favor. Beal is injury-prone and isn't a good defender. The Lakers need a 3-and-D wing, not someone like Beal.
Bradley Beal to sign a two-year deal with Clippers
Beal, who is 32, will team up with James Harden, who will be 36 next month, and Kawhi Leonard, who is 34. It doesn't matter how good Kawhi can be when he's healthy; the Clippers are headed toward another first-round exit, at best. They might not even make it that far.
Taking a swing on Beal won't set the Clippers back drastically. He can still score, as he averaged 17 points per game this season. Beal isn't as bad as most people made him out to be over the past couple of years, which was because of his overpaid contract. Now that he is free from playing under that pressure, maybe Beal will have a positive career arc in LA.
Chances are, he would have been a headache for the Lakers, giving them yet another player who likes to have the ball in his hands and is a negative on the defensive end. He wouldn't have made much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.
Beal signing with the Clippers benefits the Lakers in more ways than one. His time in LA could be a flop, and Phoenix most likely committing to waiving and stretching the rest of his contract will put the Suns in a hole in the future. What could be better than two conference rivals receiving the short end of the stick?