Despite Clippers Signing Bradley Beal, ESPN Analyst Explains Why ‘Team Led by Steph Curry’ Is Best in California

Bradley Beal may not be the most popular name as of late, but he is still a darn good basketball player. However, he hasn’t been producing at the rate of a player earning $50+ million annually. Following his buyout with the Phoenix Suns, Beal will now be joining the Los Angeles Clippers at a severely reduced price point. Regardless, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins doesn’t believe it will make the Clippers the best NBA team in California.

The Clippers and Beal agreed on terms for a two-year deal worth $11 million. Head coach Tyronn Lue hasn’t confirmed whether he will come off the bench, but having a surplus of talent is always a good problem to have.

Last season, the Clippers were the fifth seed without Beal. He is essentially replacing Norman Powell at a lower rate. Los Angeles doesn’t need Beal to be the kind of player he isn’t, which is what the problem was in Phoenix.

Alongside James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and big man Ivica Zubac, the Clippers have sneakily put together a dangerous team in the West. Despite their efforts, though, Perkins isn’t convinced the Clippers are better than a team in San Francisco.

“Give me a team in California that has culture, that has foundation, that has stability, and that has a reliable superstar, and that’s the Golden State Warriors,” Perkins said on ESPN’s First Take. 

Golden State has remained relatively quiet this offseason. They are still dealing with Jonathan Kuminga’s contract situation, but have their core already in place. The Warriors were 23-7 with Jimmy Butler and will now have a full season with the 6-foot-7 forward.

Most importantly, Perkins trusts Stephen Curry as a superstar more than Kawhi Leonard for the Clippers. His argument doesn’t have much to do with skill, but mainly availability.

“I don’t trust the Clippers,” Perkins proclaimed. “Kawhi Leonard, we know he could come into the season, and that knee could be bothering him again. We don’t know what to expect out of him.”

It doesn’t help that their new addition, Beal, doesn’t boast the most positive track record when it comes to injury history as well.“Over the last five or six seasons, Bradley Beal has played 60 games one time,” Perkins exclaimed.

The former NBA champion is correct; the last time Beal played 60 games was in the 2020-21 season. The last time Beal played more than 60 games was in the 2018-19 season. That isn’t a good development for a Clippers team that has a history of suffering injuries when it matters most.

Of course, Perkins doesn’t wish poor health on anyone. For all we know, the 2025-26 season could be extremely healthy for the Clippers. However, he can only make an analysis based on what he has seen. That just means Beal and the rest of the team will have to do their best to prove him wrong.