Clippers’ Bradley Beal to miss remainder of season

Clippers guard Bradley Beal’s comeback season has ended before it ever really began.

Beal has been diagnosed with a hip fracture and will undergo season-ending surgery, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN the decision came after consultations with multiple specialists and the Clippers’ medical staff, calling the procedure “the best path to a full and complete recovery.”

The recovery window is expected to be six to nine months, per The Athletic’s Law Murray.

It’s a crushing blow for Beal, who joined the Clippers this summer on a two-year, $10.98 million deal after a messy Phoenix exit that left nearly $97 million in dead money on the Suns’ books. He was looking for a fresh start — instead, his season ends after just six games.

Beal averaged 8.2 points on 38% shooting in limited minutes. Injuries have plagued him for years now; he hasn’t topped 60 games since the 2018-19 season.

With the surgery, he’s all but certain to pick up his $5.62 million player option for 2026-27.

The Clippers could seek a disabled player exception worth about $2.7 million but remain hard-capped and can’t add a 15th player until January.

That means more will be expected from veterans Bogdan Bogdanovic and Chris Paul, while John Collins figures to see an expanded offensive role alongside James Harden and Kawhi Leonard when healthy.