Clippers outbid Heat, Celtics for $342M elite shooter, three-time All-Star, 14-year veteran originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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One of the biggest names remaining on the free-agent market was 14-year veteran Bradley Beal, who has built a reputation as an elite shooter throughout his career. Beal has played alongside some of the biggest names in the NBA, including Russell Westbrook, Devin Booker and Kawhi Leonard.
However, Beal decided to enter free agency this summer after an injury-plagued season. The three-time All-Star declined his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers , making him an unrestricted free agent.
“LA Clippers guard Bradley Beal has declined his $5.6 million player option for next season and will become an unrestricted free agent. Beal signed with the Clippers last summer but the guard played in only six games after suffering a fracture in his left hip that required season-ending surgery. Beal averaged career lows of 8.2 points and 20.2 minutes per game while shooting 36.8% from 3," ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk wrote.
The two teams known to have interest in Beal during this free-agency cycle were the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics .
“The Celtics and Heat expressed recent interest in signing Bradley Beal on a veteran's minimum deal. Beal, who missed most of last season with a hip fracture, would like to join a title contender in the final few years of his career," NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
However, on Thursday, it was the Clippers who ultimately re-signed Beal, beating out two Eastern Conference contenders that had shown interest in the veteran guard.
“Free agent guard Bradley Beal has agreed to a two-year, $13.2 million deal to return to the LA Clippers, his representative, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told ESPN on Thursday night. The deal includes a player option in the second season,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
The move helps the Clippers tremendously as they continue to reshape their roster, especially if Beal can remain healthy. After an offseason dominated by the Kawhi Leonard saga, bringing Beal back gives Los Angeles another positive development to look forward to.
Beal has earned $342 million in contracts throughout his NBA career , and when healthy, he gives the Clippers another proven scorer and perimeter shooter capable of helping them compete for a playoff spot. Getting a deal done with the veteran guard is a huge win for the Clippers, especially over Miami and Boston
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