In the offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers signed Bradley Beal to a two-year, $11 million deal, perhaps fully hoping that he could replace Norm Powell. The woebegone franchise traded Powell a week later in a three-team deal that sent the 32-year-old Californian to the Miami Heat, John Collins to the Clippers, and Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to the Utah Jazz.
Unfortunately, Beal has been a disappointment in Los Angeles, averaging a measly 8.2 points on 37.5% shooting overall and 36.8% from downtown in six games. Powell, in contrast, is wowing in Miami, putting up 24.5 points and 4.3 rebounds on 46% shooting overall and 45.8% from the arc.
Now, Bradley Beal will miss the rest of the 2025–26 NBA season as he is set to undergo surgery on a fractured hip. Recovery is expected to take six to nine months, which means he probably won’t be ready even for the postseason—assuming they even make it there given their early-season struggles.
Losing Bradley Beal Adds to Clippers’ Misery
While Bradley Beal hasn’t exactly played up to par, losing him for the season is still a big blow to the Clippers, who are at 3-7 as of press time and are still groping for form.
Warts and all, the former Phoenix Sun and Washington Wizard is still a former All-Star and a proven scorer, and he could’ve at least turned a corner somewhere down the road. Now, he is out for the season, and that leaves the Clippers with one less playmaker to come off the bench and possibly relieve James Harden and Chris Paul of playmaking duties.
What’s worse, Clippers fans are probably seeing Powell making a superstar turn in Miami and helping the Heat win games, leaving them wondering what could’ve been if they had just brought back one of their own rather than take a flyer on Bradley Beal.
Then again, as the saying goes, hindsight is 50/50.
