Suns' buyout of Bradley Beal reportedly near completion, Clippers considered frontrunners to sign guard

Bradley Beal is about to be a free agent.

Multiple reports have suggested the Phoenix Suns are very close to reaching a waive-and-stretch buyout deal with Bradley Beal, who has two years and $110.8 million left on his contract (Zach Lowe at The Ringer and Fred Katz at The Athletic are just two of the names reporting the deal is close). This is a negotiation because Beal has to give back approximately $13.8 million of his contract for the Suns to be able to waive and stretch him (thanks to a little-discussed provision of the CBA). He appears willing to do that to get out of Phoenix and to a playoff team in a city where he wants to be.

Which appears to be the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles trading away Norman Powell — a sharpshooting, ball-handling wing, a role the Clippers need filled next to James Harden — is seen as a precursor to the Beal signing, league sources told NBC Sports. While Beal could start in place of Kris Dunn in the Clippers’ backcourt, for defensive purposes, the better fit would be for Beal to come off the bench with a second unit that includes John Collins (unless Collins starts and Derrick Jones Jr. comes off the bench), Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Brook Lopez. The Clippers can offer Beal either the remaining portion of their mid-level exception (estimated to be approximately $5.3 million) or the room exception ($5.1 million).

Beal also “has thought about” the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, reports The Athletic’s Katz. While Miami and Beal have had a flirtation in the past, they do not appear to be a potential landing spot now.

Whether one of those other teams steps up with a deal or Beal chooses the Clippers, this appears close to happening. It will be the second nine-figure waive and stretch of the NBA season, behind only the $115 million the Bucks waived to move on from Damian Lillard and sign Myles Turner.