Clippers predicted to cut ties with $11 million three-time All-Star after his failure to help Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles this season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Clippers had a really rough start to the 2025-26 season, but they were able to bounce back and make it to the NBA Play-In Tournament. However, their playoff hopes were short-lived, as the Golden State Warriors’ comeback win knocked them out of the tournament.
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With that in mind, the Clippers will need to cut ties with stars that they thought would actually be of help to them in their quest to contend. FanSided’s Alicia de Artola predicts one star that will be shown the door is All-Star Bradley Beal, who did nothing this year to help the Clippers due to being injured.
“Let’s not beat around the bush on Bradley Beal. The currently-injured, 32-year-old guard is not exactly someone the Clippers can rely on going into next season. He played just six games before his campaign was ended by a fractured hip. That injury alone puts his future in question…There’s a universe where Beal comes back better than ever and teams up with Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland to lead the Clippers to the promised land. The likelihood of that universe being this universe is low…The Clippers are already managing injury-prone stars like Leonard and Garland. Putting any eggs in the Beal basket is simply too risky,” de Artola wrote.
In the six games he played in, Beal averaged 8.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 20.2 minutes per game. This is a steep fall off from his Washington Wizards days, and a definitive from his team prior to the Clippers, the Phoenix Suns.
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The Clippers only have Beal on a two-year, $11 million contract, with a player option for next season. He will definitely exercise that, and it’ll be up to L.A. to find a trade partner if they can, or give him the Chris Paul treatment.
Either way, the chances of Beal having a major role on the team or even being on it are low. Hopefully, the Clippers can find his replacement over the offseason, and try to contend next year once again.
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