Mar 17, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton (24) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Bucks Made 'Very Strong Push' for $11 Million All-Star, Who Spurned Them for Clippers

Originally posted on Milwaukee Bucks on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks have been trying to improve the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the best that they can. That's the only way that they can definitely be sure that he will stay.

That's part of the reason why the Bucks brought in Myles Turner on a four-year, $108.9 million deal. He isn't the only player that the Bucks have tried to bring in to make Antetokounmpo happy.

Another player that the Bucks tried to bring in to improve the roster was Bradley Beal. Beal was recently bought out by the Phoenix Suns, allowing him to sign anywhere else.

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Unfortunately for Milwaukee, Beal ended up signing a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, spurning the Bucks. They made a very strong push to try to bring him to Milwaukee.

The Bucks made a very strong push to sign Bradley Beal, who was interested in MIL, league sources told @ClutchPoints.

The Heat were only able to offer a minimum contract after trading for Norman Powell.

Golden State also wasn’t willing to offer more than the minimum.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) July 16, 2025

Beal is clearly no longer close to the player he once was. He can no longer score 30 points per game and be an All-Star caliber player. At this point, he's a bench guy.

Beal's fall has been pretty fast, so perhaps the Bucks will luck out by not adding him to the roster. Beal has had issues staying healthy, complicating his ability to help his team.

With what the Bucks have in the backcourt, he still would have been an upgrade. Beal can at least still score 10-15 points per game off the bench when he's healthy.

The Bucks are trying to find a way to compete in a bad Eastern Conference. With all of the injuries to other teams in the East, they feel that they can still get out of the East with just a few improvements.

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Without Beal, the Bucks are left with Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. as their two best backcourt players. They were hoping to get some better players than that this offseason, either via a trade or free agency.

Instead, the Bucks will likely have to wait until the trade deadline to improve the guard spot. At that point in the season, other teams might be willing to part with some better guards in an effort to cut salary.

This past season with the Suns, Beal averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

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This article first appeared on Milwaukee Bucks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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