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Last month was Bradley Beal’s stormy run with Phoenix Suns ended.
The three-time NBA All-Star accepted a buyout. As part of the agreement, Beal returned $ 13.9 million out of the $ 110 million in the last two years of its contract with Suns, ESPN reported in July.
Beal then accepted a two-year deal with Los Angeles Clippers.
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New Phoenix Suns -Guard Bradley Beal answers a question under an NBA -Basketball -New Conference Thursday, June 29, 2023 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Beal’s tenure was largely defined by his time away from the basketball court due to injury, while his dissatisfaction with the team also became a theme. But this week, Beal finally shared some details about what led to his decision to attend Clippers.
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“I need a ring. I need a ring. I want a bad one,” Beal told KMOV News. “New environment, but also a hungry environment. I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to win.”
Bradley Beal #3 of Phoenix Suns smiles during the game against Sacramento Kings on March 14, 2025 at PhX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
While Clippers has never won an NBA final or a conference title, the team has been competitive for more than a decade. The franchise has moved on to the post season in 11 of the last 13 seasons.
However, seven of these playoffs resulted in outputs from the first round. Clippers reached the western conference final in 2021, but was eventually removed by Suns.
Bradley Beal #3 of Phoenix Suns poses for a photo during the game against Oklahoma City Thunder on April 9, 2025 in Phx Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
This is not the first time Beal has shared his hope of competing for a NBA title. In March, Beal told ESPN that if he eventually left Phoenix, he preferred to land with a challenger.
“I enjoy the game, man,” Beal said at the time. “This game is fun. I’m not trying to let anyone take the joy out of it for me. It’s very hard. It’s hard. We’re all people, man. We have every right to shut down. We have all the right to question what’s going on. You have every right to say, ‘why me?’ But I feel like it just pulls you down a little more than you need.
Beal appeared in 53 games in each of his two seasons with Suns. The guard now joins a Clipper list containing James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and recently Brooke Lopez and John Collins added. Chris Paul also accepted to return to Los Angeles this season.
