The Los Angeles Clippers acquired the services of Bradley Beal earlier today, bringing an end to his turbulent stint with the Phoenix Suns. Many, including Bill Simmons, were somewhat baffled by the move, especially since Beal had made it clear he didn’t want to be a third option on offense. But with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden already on the Clippers, Beal can’t realistically expect to be the main man, or even the number two.
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It’s going to be the Suns all over again for Beal. In the Valley, he was behind Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but his performances were so underwhelming that the Suns agreed to buy him out. The 32-year-old has now signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers.
That said, Beal repeatedly expressed frustration at being a role player in Phoenix. So Simmons wondered, why is he suddenly okay with the same situation in Los Angeles? What changed? And why is he fine being in Harden and Leonard’s shadow?
“So things went south with Beal in Phoenix because he resented being a role player/supporting guy to KD/Book and not having the ball enough… but now he’s happy being a role player/supporting guy to Harden/Kawhi and not having the ball enough? Sorry, just trying to keep up,” Simmons tweeted.
Bill is definitely a “knower of ball,” and when he’s confused about something, it’s only natural that others in the basketball community, especially fans, are too. So let’s unpack why Beal might have signed this deal with L.A. Thankfully, we have some solid inside info on the situation, courtesy of Shams Charania.
So things went south with Beal in Phoenix because he resented being a role player/supporting guy to KD/Book and not having the ball enough… but now he’s happy being a role player/supporting guy to Harden/Kawhi and not having the ball enough? Sorry, just trying to keep up.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) July 16, 2025
Charania detailed how Beal gave up approximately $14 million to join the Clippers. He started by mentioning how he fills the immediate role of a player they just traded away.
“They see him as a natural, seamless fit at the starting shooting guard position after the trade of Norman Powell,” Shams said on NBA Today.
It makes complete sense that the Clippers were motivated to get the deal done as a replacement for Powell. He averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game last season and was a steady contributor in the playoffs. L.A. decided to capitalize on those numbers and flipped Powell to the Heat in a three-team trade that brought them John Collins and a 2027 second-round pick.
Reporting for NBA Today on why Bradley Beal chose to give up $13.9M in buyout with the Suns to team up with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden in LA: pic.twitter.com/82rE6zVoRR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2025
Beal’s points per game have been steadily declining over the past few seasons. But he’s the same age as Powell, and now much cheaper. Also, Charania later revealed that James Harden played a role in recruiting Beal.
“Here’s something interesting: I’m told James Harden was a focal point in recruiting Bradley Beal. Internally, but also speaking directly to Beal and his camp,” Shams said.
All in all, it feels like a mix of a perfect fit and a solid recruiting job by Harden. Maybe Beal didn’t enjoy being the third option in Phoenix, but after some convincing, he seems motivated to get his career back on track as a sidekick with the Clippers. So while Simmons might be confused, the move is fairly easy to explain.
Beal hasn’t looked like himself in recent seasons. The Clippers clearly wanted to save some money with the new CBA apron penalties in play. Still, it has to be said, swapping Powell for Beal is a gamble. Right now, the former looks like the better player. If L.A. wants to come out on top here, they’ll need to revive Beal’s career in a big way.
