The Los Angeles Clippers will take part in their final preseason game against the Golden State Warriors, and one of their projected starters is set to make his debut, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“Los Angeles Clippers star Bradley Beal (knee) is to expected to make his preseason debut tonight in exhibition finale against Golden State Warriors, league sources tell me,” Haynes wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Beal had a minor knee issue that kept him out for most of the preseason, but it was never supposed to be something that kept him sidelined for an extended period of time. The Clippers will probably bring him along slowly, which shouldn't be a problem with all the talent they have on the team after a busy offseason.
Beal was one of the bigger additions to the team after him and the Phoenix Suns agreed to a buyout. Beal had a few suitors, but it was the Clippers that caught his attention the most.
At Media Day, he explained what led to his decision to join the Clippers.
“This situation, in particular, stuck out a lot,” Beal said via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “Just in terms of who one Steve Ballmer is and how he operates and what he stands for, his passion is unmatched. I feel like with his ownership around the league. And then L. Frank has been around for a long time. He knows the game, he knows players, he knows personnel. And then [Tyronn Lue]. T-Lue is another Missouri guy. I'm from Missouri. We had a previous relationship prior to me coming here. It's just all made sense.
“James, I talked to James throughout the process and their pitch was just, it was obviously better. It was better. It made more sense and more fitting. I felt more confident and comfortable about, you know, the role and the situation I was going into. So everything kind of aligned.”
Beal will now have the chance to prove to outsiders that he can still produce at a high level, and he has the right team around him to do so.
