The Los Angeles Clippers made the massive offseason move to acquire Bradley Beal after he agreed to a buyout of his contract with the Phoenix Suns.
On ESPN’s NBA Today, former champion Iman Shumpert commented on Beal’s move to the Clippers, sending a strong message after his failed experiment in Phoenix.
“When I look at Bradley Beal, I feel like these are pressure situations,” Shumpert said Beal’s latest move. “Now we’ve paired you up with different superstars, and we kind of got the same result…You don’t want to be that guy that it’s like ‘He’s got the years, he’s got the milage on him, but we can’t really get anything out of him.‘ You got to produce and you got to produce it efficiently.”
Beal, a former All-NBA shooting guard, agreed to a buyout of the remaining $110 million he would have been owed over the next two years for Phoenix. Instead, he goes to the Clippers on a two-year $11 million contract to join forces with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
Shumpert Says More On Beal’s Clippers Deal
Despite Shumpert’s criticism of Beal and his recent spell with the Suns, the former 2016 NBA Finals winner said that he did like the move overall. However, he explained that questions still surround Beal and his ability to stay healthy and be an impactful player down the stretch.
“I like the move just because I enjoy watching Bradley Beal play basketball,” Shumpert added. “But I am at the point where I look at it, how you would look at James Harden, how you would look at a Paul George where we’re saying ‘Where do you take your team? What do you add to your team at this point? Especially with you getting older…What can you add to this team and what can you add to the hump come playoff time?”
Regardless of Shumpert’s thoughts on Beal age, injury history, and lack of recent playoff wins, the shooting guard had one of his most efficient years last season. Despite the constant rumors, speculation, and disapproval of his game, Beal has been one one of the most efficient stretches of his career.
In the past two seasons, Beal has been one of only five players to average at least 15 points per game on 50% shooting from the field and at least 40% shooting from three. Both his newest teammate Leonard, and his former teammate Kevin Durant, are two of the other players to find themselves on the list.
However, Beal failed to help Phoenix win a single playoff game in his two seasons with the team. He has just one playoff win and one postseason appearance in the past eight seasons, meaning Shumpert’s point could still stand when he asks the question to Beal; ‘What do you add to the hump come playoff time?’
Harden Reportedly Wanted Beal
ESPN’s Shams Charania originally reported the news of Beal’s move to the Clippers. The insider also provided more insight into how the deal got done, stating that Harden was a key factor in Los Angeles acquiring the three-time All-Star.
“I’m told James Harden was a focal point in recruiting Bradley Beal,” Charania said on NBA Today. “The Clippers view Bradley Beal as a perfect fit alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden…They see him as a natural, seamless fit at the starting shooting guard position after the trade of Norman Powell.”
Charania also said that the Clippers landed the shooting guard despite interest from the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat.
Beal goes to the Clippers on a ‘1+1‘ deal, in which the second year of the contract is a player option for the 2026-27 season. By agreeing to the buyout, Beal gave up $13.9 million of the $110 million the Suns owed him over the next two seasons. Instead, the team will stretch his contract over the next five years, meaning alongside his Clippers deal, Beal will make an additional $19 million annually until the end of the decade.
Beal averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 49.7% shooting in 53 games for the Suns this past season. After the Wizards traded Beal to Phoenix in 2023, he came off the bench in 15 games this year, and his point total marked his lowest in the past nine years.
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