Bradley Beal to join Clippers after reaching contract buyout with Suns: report

Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns looks on in a game against the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter at Ball Arena on March 7, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Tyler McFarland/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)

Bradley Beal's time with the Phoenix Suns appears to be over.

What they're saying:

The oft-injured guard has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Suns, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.

Beal is expected to give back nearly $14 of the $110 million he’s owed from the Suns, which allows Phoenix more flexibility as it tries to rebuild its roster.

"Beal became extremely excited about the route to part ways after meeting with multiple interested suitors, and [Mark] Bartelstein then moved forward with the Suns on completing the release Wednesday, opening the path for Beal to start a new chapter in LA," Charania said. "This now gives the Suns increased team-building flexibility by taking them out of the first and second aprons, providing access to more tradeable draft picks in the future, and opening up part of the mid-level exception to utilize."

The Suns didn't confirm the buyout, but they released a graphic on social media thanking Beal.

The backstory:

The Suns acquired Beal in a 2023 trade with the Wizards. As part of the deal, the Suns sent Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and draft picks to Washington.

By the numbers:

Beal's two-year tenure in Phoenix was marred by injuries. He averaged 17.6 points with the Suns but missed nearly 60 games in the last two seasons.

During the 2020-21 season with the Wizards, Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game.

Dig deeper:

It's been a busy offseason for the Suns.

In June, they dealt Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft, which the Suns used to select Duke center Khaman Maluach.

Last week, the Suns signed Devin Booker to a two-year, $145 million contract extension. The deal is the highest annual extension salary in NBA history.

Phoenix Suns