ESPN Insider Predicts Top-2 Finish for Clippers After Bradley Beal Signing

Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns have finally parted ways. After nearly a year of Beal holding his no-trade clause over the organization’s head, he and the team have agreed to a buyout. He’s now on his way to Los Angeles to join the Clippers. With a slew of offseason signings, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon believe the often-overlooked LA side might finally make a big statement in the Western Conference next season.

So far, the Clippers’ fates have aligned with Kawhi Leonard‘s health. In the season when he was most fit, in 2021, they made it to the Conference Finals. However, with all the talent they’ve acquired in John Collins, Brook Lopez, and Beal himself, and the fact that they have James Harden, Bontemps feels the Clippers will be fine without Leonard as well.

The version of Harden on the Clippers right now is a perfect fit alongside Collins and Beal. After helping elevate Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell to near All-Star consideration last season, he’ll be a godsend for the two new signings.

McMahon, while talking to Bontemps, pointed this out too. “James Harden, right now, at this stage of his career, is maybe the best table setter in the NBA. He’s looking to get everybody involved, who just helped Norm Powell have a career year, just helped Ivica Zubac have a career year, and getting a guy like this (Beal) who’s still a big-time efficient scorer, is huge for Harden,” he said.

“I think the Clippers have a good chance of being top 2 in the West in the regular season.”@espn_macmahon & @TimBontemps of The Hoop Collective on what Bradley Beal means to the Clippers. pic.twitter.com/vVLySjlYic

— ESPN Podcasts (@espnpodcasts) July 18, 2025

McMahon and Bontemps have both emphasized the importance of adding good, reliable role players to the Clippers. And if last year’s NBA Finals are anything to go by, role players are everything in the modern NBA.

Lopez also gives them extra depth at center, providing a type of game that’s clearly different from Zubac. As a floor stretcher, Lopez is a serious threat from three, which means teammates who thrive inside the paint, like Derrick Jones Jr. and Collins, could see a major jump in their numbers as well.

Bontemps went on to remind listeners that the Clippers won 50 games last year, and that regardless of Kawhi Leonard’s injury status, they are likely to finish top two in the West during the regular season.