It may have seemed surprising that Bradley Beal chose to re-sign with the Clippers this summer.
Gone are Ivica Zubac, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, as well as any chance to compete.
The Clippers were embroiled in the salary cup circumvention scandal, which led to them being stripped of five first-round draft picks, the franchise being given a $30 million fine and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer being suspended for a year, among other penalties.
To put it mildly, the Clippers weren’t exactly a shining beacon for free agents.
So, why did the 33-year-old Beal choose to re-sign a two-year, $13.1 million deal with the Clippers?
“Obviously, I’m getting older,” Beal told reporters. “I can go try to win and go chase winning, and I had plenty of opportunities to go do that. But I can’t be of service to them, either, if I’m not healthy. My biggest thing is being healthy and making sure that I can consistently play, consistently be available.”
Beal is a three-time All-Star and averaged more than 30 points in consecutive seasons from 2019-2021. But he has missed at least 29 games the last five seasons due to various injuries. He’s currently out for the start of Clippers training camp because of right knee inflammation.
“It’s been a knock on me the last four or five years. And I can’t shy away from that,” Beal said. “My biggest thing is who gives me the best advantage of being available, being myself consistently. And I have a great relationship with the staff here. And I entrusted them with putting me in that position.
“I feel like if I went anywhere else, I’d be starting all over again, kind of putting a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure on myself to perform and do things. And I can’t answer and necessarily check that box yet. So giving myself time to be able to check some of those boxes before making those types of moves.”
Beal, who only played six games for the Clippers last season after suffering a left hip fracture that required season-ending surgery, is clearly prioritizing his mental and physical health over the prospect of winning a title.
The revamped Heat, who acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in June, showed interest in Beal in free agency. The Celtics and Warriors had varying degrees of interest in him as well.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
