Report: Bradley Beal declining Clippers option to become free agent

Bradley Beal will become an unrestricted free agent after declining his $5.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN reported Monday.

Beal, a three-time All-Star guard with the Washington Wizards, saw his scoring decline in two seasons with the Phoenix Suns and played in just six games for the Clippers before he had season-ending surgery for a hip fracture.

Beal signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers in July 2025. The second year carried the player option.

While Beal was sidelined, the Clippers got off to a 6-21 start before Kawhi Leonard led a midseason turnaround. The franchise still chose to trade James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the deadline, and though they finished above .500 at 42-40, they lost the 9-versus-10 play-in game to the Warriors.

Beal turned 33 on Sunday, and his next steps are unclear. He managed just 8.2 points per game in his six Clippers appearances at the start of the season. He has averaged 21.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists over 807 career games with Washington (2012-23), Phoenix (2023-25) and the Clippers. He is a career 37.6% 3-point shooter.

--Field Level Media