Agent: Beal OK’s buyout with Suns, to join Clips

Three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal has agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns and plans to join the LA Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after he clears waivers, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN on Wednesday.

The player option for 2026-27 clears the way for Beal, 32, to be one of the top available players in free agency next summer.

For the Clippers, Beal is a natural fit alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden as a scorer, playmaker and costar. LA signed Brook Lopez in free agency and traded Norman Powell to the Miami Heat in a three-team deal that brought forward John Collins to the Clippers from the Utah Jazz.

After a two-year run in Phoenix did not work out, the crux of the decision for Beal and his representation was finding the best basketball fit, first and foremost. Beal was granted permission by the Suns to speak to interested teams around the league, sources said. Bartelstein led an exhaustive process over the past several weeks, meeting with teams involved, that allowed Beal to make the decision to part with the Suns and control where he wanted to go.

Harden played a vital role in recruiting Beal to the Clippers, speaking directly to him and his camp, sources said.

Personnel across several other teams — including the Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, sources said — pursued Beal and had extensive conversations with him and Bartelstein in recent weeks.

Beal is giving back $13.9 million out of the $110 million on the final two years of his contract to complete the buyout with the Suns, who will likely waive-and-stretch the remaining salary over five years, sources said.

Beal, who averaged 21.5 points, 4.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 37.6% from behind the arc for his career, will slide into the starting spot at shooting guard with the departure of Powell.

The Clippers have been creating cap flexibility to pursue stars in free agency possibly over the next two summers. Before the Beal addition, the Clippers had only $96 million in guaranteed contracts going into next offseason.

For Beal, the move allows him to serve as a major addition to a playoff contender in the Western Conference.

It also gives the Suns increased team-building flexibility by taking them out of the first and second apron, providing access to more tradable draft picks in the future, and opening up part of the midlevel exception.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia vowed after last season that changes were coming and that he would reset the franchise’s culture, and he has now completed a full overhaul of the roster around new leadership in coach Jordan Ott and general manager Brian Gregory. The Suns traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster deal, bringing back veterans Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, as well as draft picks Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea to go with one additional second-round pick.

Beal was traded to the Suns in the summer of 2023, using his no-trade clause to help choose his destination as he was moved from the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and second-round picks. It served as an aggressive, all-in play for Ishbia and the Suns, teaming Beal, Durant and superstar guard Devin Booker.

Beal averaged 17.6 points, 4.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 50.5% field goal shooting and 40.7% 3-point shooting for the Suns over the past two seasons. He shot a career-best 57% on 2-pointers in 2024-25 and shot a career-high 66% on layups and dunks last season, according to GeniusIQ. Injuries and team disappointment marred both campaigns, however, as Beal played in just 106 out of a possible 164 games.

Beal spent his first 11 NBA seasons with the Wizards, making All-Star teams in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 and the All-NBA third team in 2021.