After trading with John Collins and dropping out Norman Powell’s salary, the Los Angeles Clippers emerged as Bradley Beale’s landing if the Phoenix Suns bought his contract.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Clippers took part in a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz and the Miami Heat, facing John Collins in exchange for Norman Powell.
The deal will require the Clippers to have a scoring guard to pair up next to James Harden, but they closed out the frontcourt with Collins, Ivica Zubak, Brooke Lopez and Nicholas Batam.
As things stand now, the Clippers will likely start Derrick Jones Jr. next to Zubuck, Harden, Collins and Kawi Leonard, but trade opens to target Bradley Beal if the Phoenix Suns buy him.
Beal is a three-time All-Star and was one of the best scorers of the late 2010s, but his worth is competing for Phoenix. He is one of two players with no trade clauses and has full control over where he plays next season, but he is interested in getting a small salary cut if the Suns buy him.
“With the imminent buyout of Bradley Beal, sources expect to give up the remaining $110 million, $13.9 million, which clears the way Suns will abandon $96.9 million over five years and abandon and extend both tax aprons.
Over the past three seasons, Beal averaged 19.4 points, earning 39.4% from the 3-point range. His and Harden’s backcourt certainly brought firepower, and Chris Dunn, Leonard, Zubuck, Collins and Lopez were able to reinforce their defense.
“We’ll see where all the chips fall, but after being acquired with the Suns, Bradley Beal will win a beer for the Clippers. “John Collins and Brook Lopez are really strong additions for Luck this offseason.”
Beer was linked to the heat in Miami before the trade, but Powell and Pat Riley had no resources or basketball reasons to bring the beer to South Beach. Meanwhile, the Clippers need to add firepower.
Beal, which owes $53.6 million this season, has the worst contract in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean he’s the worst player. In fact, he is still one of the better offensive players, and he simply doesn’t fit the sun at all, becoming a convenient scapegoat that fans stack up.
Beer certainly deserves a fair amount of criticism, but like his Suns teammates, the front office was also a good idea, thinking about deals for him.
If he signs with the Clippers after he is bought, that will follow a much more lucrative deal, but he still doesn’t want anything as the Suns pays a majority of his salary.
In court, the Clippers will replace Powell’s massive scorers with Beer, a lateral movement, while adding Collins and Lopez to the offseason.