INGLEWOOD — Clippers guard Bradley Beal will undergo season-ending surgery next week for a fractured left hip, the latest setback in his 13-year career, the Clippers announced on Wednesday.
Beal, 32, suffered the injury when he took a charge during the second quarter of Saturday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. He returned in the second half, finishing with 12 points, but he was ruled out indefinitely Monday before the Clippers faced the Atlanta Hawks and was scheduled for further testing.
Beal had both an MRI and a CT scan, which revealed the extent of the injury, which will sideline him for 6-8 months.
“I just feel horrible for Brad,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said before Wednesday’s game. “As you guys know, professional athletes, the toll that it takes on their body and just to deal with these injuries and to deal with surgeries, heart goes out to him.”
“This is a very, very fluky injury. The surgeon said it’s almost like the equivalent of if you were in like a car accident. It’s an atypical kind of basketball injury. It’s more of an acute trauma-type injury.”
Beal was looking forward to a fresh start with the Clippers after agreeing to a buyout with the Suns, where he spent the past two seasons. His continuing health struggles forced him to the bench in favor of Ryan Dunn in Phoenix.
Frank said he has spoken to Beal several times and the veteran guard feels like he has let down the team with his latest injury.
“He was hoping to have a really, really good year,” Frank said. “I mean, people forget that last year Brad was basically averaging 17 points a game, and he was looking to do better than that (this season).
“So, he’s disappointed that he won’t be there for his teammates and coaches. And then just to go through a surgery and a surgery where it robs you of a year of your career, no professional athlete takes what they do for granted, so (he’s) sad, frustrated.”
Beal joined the Clippers this past offseason on a two-year, $11 million deal after they sent Norman Powell to the Miami Heat in a three-team trade that helped create salary cap space, and he was being counted on to complement veteran point guard James Harden.
Beal has a player option for 2026-27 that allows him to hit free agency again next summer.
“The great, or the optimistic, thing is talking to multiple surgeons, they’re extremely optimistic that he’ll make a full recovery. He’ll be back for next year,” Frank said.
In 2022, Beal had season-ending surgery on his left wrist while with the Washington Wizards, one of several injuries he encountered during 11 seasons in Washington.
In six appearances this season, the three-time All-Star was averaging 8.2 points and 1.7 rebounds, both career lows, as he was battling to regain his fitness after having a knee procedure in May and dealing with back soreness.
“He put in the work all preseason, just trying to get back and trying to get right,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “This happened, so you feel bad when these types of things happen to any player, whether it’s on your team or across the league. Just feel bad for him … praying for him that recovery is speedy, and he’ll get back to being himself.”
In 14 NBA seasons, Beal has averaged 21.4 points and 4.3 assists over 807 games (758 starts) for the Washington Wizards (2012-23), Suns (2023-25) and Clippers.
LEONARD TO JOIN TEAM ON TRIP
Kawhi Leonard, who has missed the past five games because of ankle and foot injuries, is expected to join the team on its two-week road trip. It wasn’t clear whether he will be ready to play, though.
“When he sprained his ankle, it kind of triggered a mechanism in his foot (leading to a different sprain),” Frank said. “He’s making really good progress, and we will continue to treat him. He’ll be going on the trip, but we will probably have a better feel for it next week.”
Leonard averaged 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in five games before suffering the injuries in a loss to the Miami Heat.
The injuries to Beal and Leonard leave Coach Tyronn Lue to once again juggle his lineup after doing something similar through the first 47 games last season while Leonard rehabbed a balky knee.
“We’re accustomed to it,” Lue said. “Having to play different styles of basketball, guys being out, having slow starts. We just got to figure out our rotations and who we need to play. But it’s been something that’s been happening since I’ve been here, so we’ll figure it out and just go from there.”