The Phoenix Suns waved goodbye to two of their top three players this offseason - only in reality - Bradley Beal held the title of third offensive option in The Valley for short periods of time. Injuries being the main reason why, although getting outplayed by Grayson Allen for a whole season in his maiden campaign with the Suns should have been a warning sign for what was to come.
While the organization also got some stuff back for Durant - and depending on your feelings on Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Khaman Maluach they might have done quite well given he's 36-years-old - the same cannot be said for Beal. He was bought out, and so is going to appear on their cap sheet for the next half decade. His next destination? The L.A. Clippers to "get a ring".
Kawhi Leonard disaster comes at poor time for Beal's ring quest.
We certainly don't wish bad times on any other franchise here in The Valley - it's not our style - but it was refreshing to see the L.A. Clippers take some of the heat away from the Suns. For all of the positive work the front office in Phoenix have done in changing the direction of the franchise this offseason, owner Mat Ishbia was again in the news for the wrong reasons recently.
Back to the Clippers, and some not great news has surfaced regarding one of their superstars in Kawhi Leonard. We're not going to get into it - you've surely seen it all at this stage - but it is a nightmare development for one of the unexpected fringe contenders of last season. They had re-loaded their roster - including getting Beal on a much better contract - and were ready to roll.
But this story breaking with training camps getting underway later this month is such an unwanted distraction, and you have to wonder if Beal would have gone to Los Angeles had he known. Not that the market for the 32-year-old was massive anyway - but on a two-year, $11 million deal - he makes a lot more sense for a ton of teams.
He is going to come off their bench and in theory was a much better fit next to the two-way exploits of Leonard. With James Harden setting the table, Beal could have been the third option the Suns always envisioned him being. There's not much by the way of consistent defending there anymore - but alongside Leonard and Ivica Zubac - there didn't need to be.
Beal remains super quick given his injury history, but you have to think this news closes the window on the Clippers as a serious threat in the Western Conference. Which is a shame as Beal left the Washington Wizards to try and contend. All he's going to show for it is one playoff sweep, a 10th place finish and now a scandal on his new team. Cursed.