After a whole lot of speculation circulated in recent days about the Phoenix Suns and guard Bradley Beal working to buy out Beal’s contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that the two sides have agreed to a buyout.
BREAKING: Three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal has agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns and plans to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after clearing waivers, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/gxZB0ObSms
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2025
Not only that, but Beal reportedly has his mind made up about which team he will play with in the coming 2025-26 season. He plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year deal once he clears waivers.
According to Charania, Clippers star guard James Harden was a “focal point” in the recruitment of Beal to Los Angeles.
Harden has spent the last two seasons of his playing career with the Clippers and was named an All-Star as a member of the team for the first time in the 2024-25 campaign.
Reporting for NBA Today on why Bradley Beal chose to give up $13.9M in buyout with the Suns to team up with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden in LA: pic.twitter.com/82rE6zVoRR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 16, 2025
“Here’s something interesting: I’m told James Harden was a focal point in recruiting Bradley Beal,” Charania said. “Internally, but also speaking directly to Beal and his camp, and the Clippers really view Bradley Beal as a perfect fit alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden — being able to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range last season. He shot career-highs in two-point field goals as well as at the rim last season.”
Beal bolsters Los Angeles’ depth in the backcourt, and the thought of a starting backcourt duo of Beal and Harden should strike fear in the hearts of opposing defenses.
They’re two of the better scorers in the game today, and both players have averaged 30-plus points per game in a full season in their careers.
The backcourt tandem of Beal and Harden projects to be devastatingly effective in terms of scoring the ball from 3-point range.
They are career 37.6 percent and 36.3 percent 3-point shooters, respectively, and averaged a combined 13.5 attempts from deep per contest in the 2024-25 campaign.
While Beal and Harden are gifted offensive players, their play on the defensive end of the floor has never been better than pedestrian, and it’s hard to believe such a duo would make life difficult for opposing guards looking to score.
At the very least, though, the Clippers have talented defensive players who can help to hide the weaknesses of Beal and Harden on that side of the ball. Guard Kris Dunn, Leonard and big man Brook Lopez are all defensive irritants and highly effective on that end.
It should be exciting to find out how Harden and Beal will fare in the 2025-26 campaign while sharing a backcourt in Los Angeles, and hopefully the Clippers will be a new and improved team in the coming season.
