For one LA Clippers player, the 2025-26 NBA season is going to be career-defining, or so says Kendrick Perkins.
The LA Clippers decided to cash in their chips and make some major roster moves this offseason. Using the building blocks of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, the Clippers got to work.
After the Clippers re-signed James Harden to a team-friendly deal, they looked to the open market. One of their big first swings was signing Brook Lopez to be their backup center.
Right after that, the Clippers traded for John Collins, sending Norman Powell out in the process. With the gap this created at the shooting guard position, the Clippers signed Bradley Beal to plug that hole.
And just when everyone thought they were done, President Lawrence Frank and the front office made another big move.
The Clippers reunited with Chris Paul, who signed on to be their backup point guard going forward. Paul tops off a list of veteran players signed, one of whom has a lot riding on next season, according to Kendrick Perkins.
Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty ImagesKendrick Perkins says Bradley Beal must earn his NBA career back next season
Kendrick Perkins spoke on ESPN’s NBA Today about the LA Clippers. Given how critical Perkins has been of the Clippers’ aging roster, it’s no surprise that he issued a warning to Bradley Beal.
Perkins warned that Beal’s last few years have given him a negative reputation. As such, he needs to be the best he possibly can be on the offensive end. However, the presence of Ty Lue will help him do that.
“I think he’s going to do fine offensively. To be honest, he has no choice. This stint right here with the Clippers is going to determine the future of Bradley Beal.
“He’s on the clock right now. He has no excuses not to flourish in this offense, especially having a coach like Tyronn Lue, who maxes out guys. We saw it last year; he maxed out big Zubac.
“You saw Norman Powell have a career year under Ty Lue, and we saw James Harden be one of the best facilitators over the last three seasons.
“It’s on Bradley Beal, how he’s going to be utilized. Bradley Beal has to come in and do his part. The team is going to put him in a position to be successful.”
LA Clippers warned veterans that playing minutes are not guaranteed
Speaking to Keith Smith of Spotrac, an anonymous LA Clippers executive revealed that all their new veteran signings have been told they cannot complain about their role on the team and how much they play.
“We’ve got to do some work for sure. The good thing is that we have all kinds of options. But Brook (Lopez), Brad (Beal), CP (Chris Paul), John (Collins), and our returning guys all just want to win.
“No one is going to cry about starting, not starting, minutes, none of it. We made sure of that before we signed anyone.”
It appears that the Clippers have told the veterans that their priority must be winning. Any sign of individual egos derailing the team appears to have been nipped in the bud during negotiations.
The Clippers desperately needed to shed the superstar mentality that dominated their team. With all their stars buying into the big goal, the sky is the limit for the Clippers next season.