Bradley Beal finally ended speculation about his future by joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
The veteran guard was linked to several teams, including the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, before making his decision.
Beal ultimately chose to buy out his Phoenix Suns contract to sign a two-year deal worth $11 million with the Clippers. NBA insider Brian Windhorst recently revealed the two primary factors behind this choice.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesAside from Ty Lue connection, James Harden’s pitch convinced Beal to join forces
Windhorst explained that Clippers coach Ty Lue played a crucial role in recruiting Bradley Beal through their shared background and long-standing relationship.
“So, why did he choose the Clippers? He obviously had a number of teams who were interested. The Clippers won out. A couple of reasons. One, Ty Lue, who has a very good relationship with players across the league. Ty Lue is from the same area as Bradley Beal and therefore has known him for decades,” Windhorst explained.
The second decisive factor came from James Harden’s direct recruitment efforts. Harden contacted Beal personally to outline how they could work together effectively.
“Second thing is Harden called him up and made the pitch. And here’s the pitch that Harden made. He said, ‘All right, last year I played 79 games. I played the fifth most minutes, I need to offload some stuff here and I need you to help me, I want you to have a bigger role,’” Windhorst added.
This pitch resonated with Beal, who seeks a more prominent role after his limited impact in Phoenix. The stylistic fit between the two guards makes sense from a basketball perspective.
Why Harden and Beal complement each other perfectly
Harden’s playmaking ability and space creation should benefit Beal’s off-ball skills. Beal excels in catch-and-shoot situations and coming off screens, areas where Harden’s facilitating could maximize his effectiveness.
Beal maintained solid shooting percentages last season with 38.6% from three-point range and 49.7% overall. His 3.7 assists per game also demonstrated continued playmaking ability when needed.
This partnership could help Beal recapture his reputation as an elite scoring guard from his Washington Wizards tenure.
Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesFinancial considerations motivated Beal’s decision
Windhorst highlighted the financial aspects that influenced Beal’s choice, particularly his desire to rebuild his market value.
“Beal is 32 years old and he got a one-year plus a player option. He can be a free agent in a year. He’s going to want to get the money back,” Windhorst noted.
“Harden met with Beal. Harden met with the representative, sold them all. The Clippers had $5.4 million left of their mid-level and said, ‘This is what we‘re going to offer you.‘ So, he gave up the absolute minimum that he could to get out of the deal with Phoenix and then he got every penny that he could from the Clippers,“ he added.
However, Beal’s injury history remains concerning, having failed to reach 60 games in any of the past four seasons while the Clippers also struggled with the availability of their star Kawhi Leonard.