The Los Angeles Lakers had the chance to sign Bradley Beal after the three-time All-Star agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
Instead, Beal signed with their rival down the road in the Los Angeles Clippers, one of many pieces the team added over the offseason to strengthen their roster. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Lakers missed out on Beal because they wanted him to come off the bench.
“Unlike his role in the starting lineup with the Clippers next to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard,” Siegel wrote. “The Lakers wanted him to be their sixth man behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.”
Beal averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 49.7% shooting in 53 games for the Suns last season.
Lakers Missed Out On Beal
The Lakers have great guards, and Beal starting over Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves seemed unlikely, especially considering his play during his time in Phoenix. While the Lakers reportedly had talks with Beal’s representation and were interested in signing the shooting guard, he would have likely come off the bench on a team that already featured multiple big-time scorers.
In their first-round playoff matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron James, Doncic, and Reaves were responsible for more than two-thirds of the Lakers’ total points. While signing Beal to a minimum contract could have been a smart move, the Lakers’ roster offers little room for him to play to his strengths.
Instead, the Lakers signed Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, and Jake LaRavia in free agency. While a big name like Beal would have made headlines by joining the 17-time NBA Champions, he likely wouldn’t have fit in well, offensively or defensively.
Beal also had interest from the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Miami Heat, according to Siegel.
Beal To The Clippers
Instead of joining the Lakers, Siegel wrote that Beal always wanted to go to the Clippers.
“Ultimately, this came down to when Beal wanted to make it official, which he decided after handpicking the Clippers as his next destination,” Siegel wrote. “Despite intel suggesting that Beal received interest across the NBA, he picked the overlooked organization in Los Angeles as the most attractive destination for both career and family reasons.”
The Clippers were very busy over the offseason; they kept their two stars in Leonard and Harden, while bringing in veteran talent on team-friendly contracts. Along with Beal, they added John Collins, Brook Lopez, and Chris Paul, while also resigning Nicolas Batum in the process.
The Clippers traded Norman Powell to the Heat after his career year in L.A., and instead of paying him $20 million in 2025-26, they brought in Lopez, Paul, and Beal for a combined $16.3 million for next season.
“The Clippers now have a strong-looking starting group with Harden, Beal, Leonard, Collins, and Ivica Zubac that can contend with the very best in the league,” Siegel wrote. “Los Angeles also has a ton of depth with Paul, Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez, and Kris Dunn as well.”
While the Lakers missed out on the chance to add Beal, it’s hard to say if that was the right move, especially before the season even starts. It would have made headlines, but it may not have been the right basketball move for a team with James, Doncic, and Reaves that needed a rim-protector more than anything else.
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