All signs are pointing to the Phoenix Suns buying out Bradley Beal. And for a moment, it appeared that the Los Angeles Lakers were in the driver's seat to acquire the former All-NBA guard. That no longer appears to be the case.
Los Angeles still seems like the most likely destination for Beal, it just may not come with the Lakers. The Los Angeles Clippers have also been in the Beal sweepstakes and it appears that they are gearing up to add him to the roster.
The Clippers waived Jordan Miller on Tuesday evening in a move that wouldn't normally create any type of fanfare. However, with Beal's presence looming, this roster move by the Clippers appears to be as calculated as it gets.
Clippers waiving Jordan Miller is bad news for Lakers' Bradley Beal pursuit
Nothing is official until it is official, but it is not a coincidence that the Clippers happened to create a roster spot while all these rumors are circling. It does not take a rocket scientist to see how this move could be related to an eventual Beal signing.
Beal has not yet been bought out by the Suns at the time of writing but that does not rule out the connection between these two moves. Information spreads much faster behind closed doors than it does in the public light and the Clippers may already know Beal is coming.
There is one other possibility, however. The Clippers have also been attached to Chris Paul, and this move could be creating space to reunite with the veteran point guard. That being said, the rumors around Paul have been in conjunction with Beal. CP3 signing with the Clippers only increases the odds of Beal signing.
It's bad news for the Lakers either way you splice it. Beal would have been a nice addition in the purple and gold. Now, he may be joining a team that does not make a lot of sense for his skillset.
It will be interesting to see how Beal fits in with a ball-dominant James Harden if he ends up following the tea leaves. As odd as the fit looks on paper, as long as Beal accepts his theoretical role on the Clippers it would still make them a better team.
At this point in his career Beal is essentially an overqualified off-ball scorer. There is nothing wrong with that if he comes at a cheap price, which he would if he is bought out by the Suns. This is what made him an enticing option for the Lakers, after all.
Unfortunately, it does not appear the Lakers will get a chance to see Beal as an overqualified scorer alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic
