With the urgent desire to constantly chase superstars, the LA Clippers show they have no plans of stopping with the latest signing of Bradley Beal. The news was officially announced moments ago by Shams Charania, who reported that the three-time All-Star signed with LA on a two-year deal worth $11 million.
This addition was predicted to occur on Tuesday of this week, after the update released on "The Stein Line." The money due to Beal's account was received, and that was the only holdup, as within 48 hours, the announcement of his new team followed the notification of a buyout.
Furthermore, Beal is an outstanding talent who will undoubtedly have a starting role alongside James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. He played only 53 games this season, but within the given sample size, he averaged an impressive 17 points, shooting 49.7% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range, which is extremely close to the goal of 50-40, desired by every elite scorer in the NBA.
Most assume that this signing is a notable win, considering the caliber of player Beal is. He can score on and off the ball and has shown a willingness to be a playmaker efficiently when needed.
However, Beal is aging, yet that did not stop the Clippers from using the rest of their mid-level exception on him. This has been a trend throughout the Kawhi Leonard era, and this signing proves that lessons have not been learned, and LA sees no issue in repeating the same mistake.
The Clippers' signing Beal shows that the outcome of adding aging superstars has not taught them the lesson they should have realized
Inserting a 32-year-old Bradley Beal next to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, who are both in their 30s, could lead to success, but the chances are slim with the injury history he has had on the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns.
Moreover, the LA Clippers briefly rostered John Wall, one of Beal's former teammates in Washington. The circumstances may have been different, as he was chosen over Isaiah Hartenstein, who recently won a championship. Still, the front office should have reached a common understanding that aging guards usually do not work out.
Though the hope is for Beal to help push the Clippers closer to a title, the facts do not support this standard, and that is something the front office will recognize sooner rather than later.