There was a portion of the 2025 offseason when the Los Angeles Lakers were firmly linked to the Bradley Beal sweepstakes. The newest member of the Los Angeles Clippers cited championships as the reason for passing on the Lakers and every other team involved in the pursuit of his services.
"I need a ring," Beal told Tamar Sher in a sit-down interview. "I want one bad. I feel like I got a new life of rejuvenation, for sure. A new hunger. I'm excited about the opportunity. New city, new environment, but a hungry environment, too. I'm definitely excited about the opportunity to go win."
"I need a ring."
Bradley Beal speaks about signing with the @LAClippers, his connection to teammate CP3, and why he gives to the next generation of St. Louis talent with @BradBealElite.
Catch the full interview tonight on Sports Sunday after @KMOV at 10. pic.twitter.com/BWCEq6yA9w
— Tamar Sher (@tamar_sher) August 11, 2025
Beal can definitely be described as woefully misguided and cluelessly optimistic if the thought process behind choosing the Clippers was getting his best opportunity to win a championship. No one, apart from the former All-Star, needs reminding of the Clippers' snake-bitten history.
Even among some of his other rumored connections like the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, his chosen destination would not be the one most would immediately look at as the team closest to winning a championship. Beal will have to learn that the hard way.
Bradley Beal’s title hopes will fade fast with the Clippers
The Clippers' offseason retool was not without impact. The additions of Beal, John Collins, and Brook Lopez do raise some intrigue regarding what their unit should be capable of in the 2025-26 NBA season.
However, it is difficult to look at their current roster and truly imagine them breaking through in the loaded Western Conference. This is especially true considering one dark cloud towering over the franchise, and it's not their well-documented lack of good fortunes.
Injuries will create the ultimate X factor for how high the Clippers can reach in 2025-26. Their two main cogs, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, are far from guarantees to make it through an entire campaign without some type of significant ailment. Even Beal, himself, represents an injury risk.
Even if everyone is healthy, are the Clippers really better than some of the true juggernauts in the Western Conference?
The defending champions reside on this side of the bracket. After a dominant 2024-25 campaign, the Oklahoma City Thunder have not done anything that would suggest a significant drop-off is coming.
Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have both firmly elevated themselves during the offseason. Those three teams all confidently reside in a tier that is undoubtedly above the Clippers before the season has arrived.
Is the best version of what the Clippers could be even better than what the Lakers would look like with a dialed-in Luka Doncic? That one is a little more debatable, but the answer is still probably not.
Ultimately, Beal's assessment in the selection of his current team provides some healthy laughing material for the rest of the NBA. Lakers fans will certainly take every opportunity to have a good chuckle at the other team in the Los Angeles County.