The Bradley Beal saga with the Phoenix Suns has finally concluded after a massive contract buyout.
Bradley Beal will be giving back $13.9 million out of the $110 million left over on the final two years of his deal with the Phoenix Suns.
Once he clears waivers, Beal will reportedly join the Los Angeles Clippers. He had been linked to the Western Conference side for weeks, so there’s not a huge surprise behind the move.
However, NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe believes the Clippers are making a mistake by signing Beal to a two-year, $11 million deal.
Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty ImagesShannon Sharpe says Norman Powell was a better fit on the LA Clippers than Bradley Beal
Following a three-and-a-half-year stint, the Clippers traded Norman Powell to the Miami Heat. Considering Powell had a career year with the Clippers last season, it was a surprising decision.
In fact, Powell felt betrayed by the Clippers’ decision to send him to South Beach. In hindsight, the trade was likely made to make room for Beal.
However, Sharpe is convinced that Powell was a much better fit on the team than their newest acquisition from the Suns.
“I don’t know if he moves the needle for me. I thought Norman Powell was a better fit. Norman Powell can play off the ball; he doesn’t need the ball,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap podcast.
He added: “Norman Powell was a better spot-up… James Harden is going to have the ball.”
For better or worse, the Clippers now have a dominant roster, at least on paper. It will be interesting to see if the current version of the team can finally help the franchise reach the NBA Finals in 2026.
Shannon Sharpe on Bradley Beal’s time with the Washington Wizards
Before an underwhelming two-year stint with the Suns, Beal was viewed as one of the best scorers in the league. In fact, Beal viewed himself as the second-best shooting guard in the league, behind only James Harden.
There’s no doubt the Clippers will hope to see signs of the Washington Wizards‘ version of Beal next season. But is it even possible?
“It’s one thing to be the guy, and you go to number two. But what about when you’re ‘the guy’ and go all the way to number three,” Sharpe stated.
Adding to that is the fact that the Suns already tried making Beal a third option on the team, and fans saw how that turned out.
Bradley Beal StatsWashington WizardsPhoenix SunsYears Played112Points22.1 PPG17.6 PPGRebounds4.1 RPG3.9 RPGAssists4.3 APG4.3 APG
With the presence of Harden and Kawhi Leonard on the team, Beal will be the third option on most nights. The onus is on him to make things work in these settings.
Considering he’s already 32 years old, playing for the Clippers could be his last realistic shot at winning an NBA Championship.