The Milwaukee Bucks were too late in pursuing an NBA All-Star who was recently bought out.
Bucks Dealt Unfortunate News on Wednesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Milwaukee Bucks missed out on an opportunity to land an All-Star guard on Wednesday. The Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal finally agreed to a contract buyout. However, the Los Angeles Clippers were quick to sign the star to a contract as he became a free agent.
The Bucks are a little thin in the backcourt after waiving Damian Lillard at the start of free agency. Well, the team would still struggle with their guard depth even if they kept Lillard, since he's rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon.
Milwaukee was among the teams monitoring the situation in Phoenix. After the front office traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, there were reports that the Suns' next priority was to move away from Beal. On Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on the roster move.
According to Charania, Beal signed a two-year, $11 million contract to join the Clippers. The NBA insider revealed that the three-time All-Star is returning $13.9 million from the $110 million remaining from his contract. The star guard had two years left on his $251 million maximum contract that he signed with the Washington Wizards in 2022.
Beal isn't the same player he was back in Washington. He is still a strong scorer, though, as seen by his tenure in Phoenix. He averaged 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his two years with the Suns.
He would've been a great fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Without Lillard, Beal could have been the clear No. 2 option for the Bucks. But he decided to team up with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard as the likely third star on the Clippers' roster.
Related: Former Bucks Center Brook Lopez Sends Final Message as He Continues With the Clippers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
