The Los Angeles Clippers have had a busy offseason, but they are far from finished. Their latest move, trading Norman Powell to the Miami Heat for John Collins, feels less like a reshuffle and more like the opening act of something bigger. By clearing out the shooting guard position, the Clippers may be setting the stage for another move, and all signs are starting to point toward Bradley Beal.
Latest Los Angeles Clippers Trade Screams Bradley Beal
Trying to make sense of the latest move, it is hard not to look at the next move ahead. Powell was their second-leading scorer last season. He appeared in 60 contests last season. Collins is a good forward, but he isn’t one that is at an All-Star level. But the way to look at this trade is how the Clippers are getting ready to target Bradley Beal if and when he gets a buyout.
Clippers’ Potential Roster After Free Agency
Right now, the Clippers have a deep team and with the latest trade, they are larger than last season. The league is again shifting toward bigger forwards and centers. The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated last season with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. The Denver Nuggets hope to get Jonas Valanciunas to play for them and back up Nikola Jokic. The Houston Rockets have Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams. Even the Clippers added Brook Lopez in free agency to get bigger and stronger.
Right now, their rotation looks to be nine players deep with Ivica Zubac, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr, Kris Dunn, James Harden, Nicolas Batum, Lopez, Collins, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Add in Beal, and they will have ten rotational players that they can use in different situations. They will be deep and versatile, able to play big or small.
Can the Clippers Land Beal?
Bradley Beal is expected to reach a buyout with the Phoenix Suns in the next 24 to 48 hours per most sources. After Damian Lillard got a historic buyout from the Bucks, the Suns have a blueprint for what they can do. Beal on a $50 million per year contract is among the worst contracts in the league. However, Beal playing on a much lower salary can be a bargain.
The Clippers added a bit more salary with Collins, who will earn $26.58 million this season. Now, they hope to get Beal to play at a lower salary. Depending on how much he leaves on the table in the buyout, Beal will look to regain his salary with a contract after the buyout.
Right now, there are five contenders for his services, and the Clippers are probably the only ones that can give him a starting spot. By trading Powell to the Miami Heat, they essentially removed them from the Beal sweepstakes. The remaining teams are the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Clippers improved their chances with their latest trade. Will it pay off? Let’s wait and see.
Photo credit: © Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The post Latest Los Angeles Clippers Trade Screams Bradley Beal appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.