Beal reportedly will sign a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after he clears waivers, Mark Bartelstein, Beal’s agent, told ESPN on Wednesday. The player option for the 2026-27 season is expected to make Beal one of the top available free agents next summer.

The Clippers are hoping Beal, given a fresh start, can fit in alongside veteran stars James Harden and Kawhi Leonard and help push them beyond the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers have failed to advance to the second round since the franchise’s lone trip to the Western Conference finals in the 2020-21 season.

The oft-injured Beal can still be a viable piece despite the wear and tear of 13 seasons.

The shooting guard is a career 46.4% shooter who spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Washington Wizards. He enjoyed his best years in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, when he averaged 30.9 points and shot 35.2% from 3-point range.

Beal, 32, averaged 17.6 points while shooting 50.5% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range in 106 games over his two seasons with the Suns.

Speculation of where Beal would land began long before the Suns negotiated the buyout and the Clippers were always among the possible destinations. The chatter grew louder after the Clippers traded Norman Powell to the Miami Heat on July 7, along with a 2027 draft pick, leaving an open guard spot on the roster.

Beal is reportedly giving back $13.9 million out of the $110 million on the final two years of his contract to complete the buyout with the Suns, who will likely waive-and-stretch the remaining salary over five years to reduce his annual cap hit on their books.

Beal was set to make more than $53 million during the 2025-26 season with the Suns.

“I love playing, I love hooping. I’ve loved it since I was a little kid,” Lopez said Monday at a news conference a few hours before the Clippers and Lakers were set to face off in an NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas. “I watched my older brothers play. I’ve always been around it and love winning just as much. I want to keep winning.”

Now, Lopez brings that passion and winning attitude to the Clippers. The 7-foot-1 center signed a two-year, $18 million free agent contract with the team this month that he believes will allow him to pursue another championship. Lopez helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 title.

“I want to keep winning,” he said. “I got a great taste for it in Milwaukee and these guys are all about that here and I’m all about it, so it’s a perfect fit.”

Unlike his situation with the Bucks, where he started, Lopez will come off the bench for the Clippers. He will back up Ivica Zubac, a second-team NBA All-Defense selection last season, a role he said he is comfortable playing.

But that doesn’t mean Lopez, 37, will change his style. He said he will continue to help spread the floor, play aggressive defense and post up.

“Bottom line, I just want to help the team win,” said Lopez, who averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 blocked shots while shooting 50.9% from the floor and 37.3% from 3-point range last season. “Whatever they need me to do, whatever they see fit for my role, I’m going to be working as hard as possible to be great at that. Even if it’s something that I haven’t done yet or I may not be great at, I’m going to put my best foot forward, put the work in, I’m going to be great at it, I’m going to help the team work (toward winning).”

Lopez joins a team that won 50 regular-season games last season but was ousted in the first round of the playoffs by a Denver Nuggets squad that boasted more frontcourt size. Lopez’s size, along with the 7-foot Zubac, 6-9 John Collins and 7-foot rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser, gives the Clippers some formidable frontcourt options.

Lopez said he is looking forward to playing alongside Zubac, who he played with briefly on the Lakers in 2018. Zubac was traded to the Clippers at midseason, but that doesn’t mean he lost sight of the young Croatian. He said he has watched Zubac continue to improve every season, saying the “sky’s the limit for him.”

“I think we complement each other extremely well,” he said. “Obviously, we’ll be very big. I think we’d be great defensively just dominating the paint, sealing the paint off and then, offensively, we complement each other there as well. I’ll spread the floor for him, give ’em all the room and the paint for him to go wild.”

Lopez also is eager to benefit from James Harden’s elite playmaking ability.

“I’m going to get as many pick-and-rolls with him as possible,” he said. “Just get in that pocket. I know he’s going to make something good happen.”

But it’s not just Harden who has peaked Lopez’s excitement in joining the Clippers. He called Collins, who the Clippers acquired in the three-team trade that sent Norman Powell to Miami last week, talented and competitive, a player who gives the team more creativity in the frontcourt.

“I think we can have a frontcourt that can dominate in so many different ways with so many different lineups. It’s just scary.”

Lopez went on to say that the Clippers have a “ton of great players, obviously Hall of Famers, All-Stars, some great young players, my guy Zubie. … There’s just a great chance to win the championship here.”

The 25-year-old Miller averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game across 37 regular-season appearances last season.

Miller, a 2023 second-round draft pick by the Clippers, earned a standard four-year, $8.3 million deal on March 1 after also starring for the Clippers’ G League team during his first two seasons. He also was impressive in the 2023 Summer League, finishing second in the MVP voting.

He is on the team’s 2025 Summer League roster and is expected to remain with the organization for now. The Clippers’ summer league opener against the Milwaukee Bucks is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Cox Pavilion.

If the Clippers cannot find a suitor for Miller within the first 48 hours after being waived, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

“Having all this free time, not having to go to class and everything,” Sanders, who played at Cal Poly and Nevada, said Monday during his introductory session with local reporters.

The job, however, is about to get harder as he and fellow rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser head to Las Vegas this week for the NBA Summer League, where the two newest Clippers will get their first experience of playing at a higher level.

“It’s definitely a faster-paced game, more physical,” said Sanders, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who can also play the point. “All the reads are faster, so I’m just trying to get that down and then I’m leaning on my teammates and coaches to help me.”

Summer League coach Jeremy Castleberry said Sanders’ ability to put the ball on the floor has been “eye-opening … and good, especially for someone that we were able to get in the second round like that.

“He’s been doing well. He has shot it pretty well so far, too. So, I’m impressed with him. (It’s only been) two days though.”

While Sanders has been going hard in the first two days of summer practice, the start has gone a bit more slowly for Niederhauser, the Clippers’ first-round pick at No. 30. The Swiss player from Penn State has been bothered by a lingering ankle injury, but it shouldn’t prevent him from participating in the Summer League games, Castleberry said.

“He’s been going through a lot of light stuff,” said Castleberry, an assistant on coach Tyronn Lue’s staff. “We’re just being cautious with him. But other than that, he’s doing well, and I expect to see him on a Friday when we’re out there in Vegas, but we’ll see. Just taking it day by day.”

Niederhauser, a 7-foot center, is eager to show his skills. After averaging 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 61% from the field last season at Penn State, he was invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp and NBA Combine, which gave him a chance to introduce himself.

“I think getting the invite to the G League and the Combine showed me that a lot of people don’t even know me yet, that I still got a lot to prove,” Niederhauser said. “So, going to this G League (camp) just took as an opportunity to show myself, to show my strength, show what I can do … people saw who I am, people saw what I can do and what I can bring to the court.”

Niederhauser said he is eager to learn under Clippers starting center Ivica Zubac and veteran Brook Lopez, whom the Clippers acquired last week in free agency. He said he already connected with Zubac.

“(I just want) to get better every day. I see each day as a development day,” he said. “I can take every day to get better at everything. If it’s defense, if it’s watching film, if it’s something in offense, just get better 1% every day and it’s going to bring me a long way.”

“John is someone we’ve targeted for the past couple of years, and we feel really, really fortunate that we’re able to obtain him at this time,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said.

As part of the trade, the Clippers sent veteran guard Norman Powell to the Miami Heat, and a 2027 second-round draft pick to the Jazz, who also acquired veterans Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson from Miami.

Frank saw the move as an opportunity to address a different position and a different skill set, namely a power forward who can also play the No. 5 position in a small lineup and make the team better overall.

“He’s someone who brings great athleticism, has shown the ability to score at all three levels,” Frank said. “He’s a tremendous runner, roller, vertical threat. I think James (Harden) will be able to unlock certain parts of his game that can unlock our team. He also can help with spacing the floor.”

If Collins can stay healthy, the 6-foot-9 forward will give the Clippers another big man, along with Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez, who signed last week.

“Both those guys (Collins and Lopez) have positional size, and they have complementary skill sets with John’s rolling and finishing and Brook’s ability to stretch,” Frank said.

Collins’ presence will also enable Kawhi Leonard to move back to the three spot; he mostly played at the four last season.

Collins, 27, averaged 19.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 30.5 minutes in 40 games (31 starts) last season. He also shot 52.7% from the field, 39.9% from 3-point range and 84.8% from the free-throw line. He was the only player in the NBA last season to shoot at least 52% from the field, 39% from behind the arc and 84% from the free-throw line (min. 30 mpg).

“I do think that he’s going to rise to the level of what we’re doing here … they’re going to challenge him and push him.”

Frank said the Clippers will miss Powell’s efforts both on and off the court.

“Norm’s been a huge part of our team for the past three-and-a-half years and we want to thank him for everything he did for the organization,” Frank said. “As you guys know, Norm’s a true pro, as prolific and efficient of a three-level scorer as there is, and a huge reason for why we won 50 games.

“So, we greatly appreciate everything Norm’s done for the organization. Sad to have him go, but also happy for the opportunity that he will have in Miami.”

Powell, a 10-year veteran, was entering the final year of his $20.48 million contract and the Clippers apparently were reluctant to give him a long-term extension with Leonard and Harden signed through the 2026-2027 season, signifying their desire to free up salary cap space in 2027.

Monday’s trade keeps the Clippers below the first apron. They have the $5.3 non-taxpayer mid-level exception available and are expected to target a backup point guard, with reports indicating they are interested in pursuing both Bradley Beal if/when he is bought out by the Phoenix Suns and perhaps reuniting with Chris Paul, who has said the upcoming season will be his last.

The 6-4 Powell, 32, moved into a starting role last season after Paul George signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. With Leonard on the bench for the first 37 games, Powell was free to roam and look for his shot.

He averaged a career high 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.22 steals on 48.4% field goal shooting, including 41.8% from 3-point range in 60 games and was the only player in the NBA to record at least 20 points and 1.2 steals while shooting his percentages from the field.

Powell, however, never seemed to find his rhythm after suffering a midseason left knee injury, followed by a hamstring strain. The injuries that caused him to miss seven games, compounded by Leonard’s return from his own knee troubles, left the former UCLA guard seemingly lost on the court.

Yet, Powell still was able to find his spots on occasion.

In the Clippers’ Game 2 road victory in their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, his late-game heroics helped tie the series at one game apiece. He scored seven points in the fourth quarter, and a clutch steal that he converted to a 3-pointer to swing the momentum in the Clippers’ favor with 1:30 remaining. The Clippers went on to win,105-102.

“I think so far we’ve done a nice job and there’s always a cost,” Frank said. “We had to trade a really, really, really good player in Norm to be able to get a really, really good player at a different position.

“And the work is not done. We still have a lot of work to do, but I think we’re moving in the right direction to give this group a chance to be better than we were last year. There are obviously no guarantees. The West is unforgiving. Yet at the same time we have to run our own race and we’re doing the best we can.”

Forward Nicolas Batum and veteran center Brook Lopez also officially signed their deals to play for the Clippers this coming season.

Harden, who helped keep the team afloat during Kawhi Leonard’s absence during the first half of last season, reportedly inked a two-year, $81.5 million deal.

“James takes on a tremendous workload for our team, as a playmaker and a scorer, and he does it with consistency and dependability,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement through the team. “The NBA season is grueling, and James has proven he is built for it, in a way few are. He loves to play. He works on his game. He positions his teammates to succeed and his team to win.

“He’s a true partner, as shown by this agreement, which allows us to reward James and continue building in the present and future.”

Last season, Harden averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 79 starts. He was the only player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in total points, assists, steals and 3-pointers.

For Batum, his re-signing marked the start of his fifth season with the team. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the 36-year-old forward reportedly signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal to return. The deal includes a team option as well as a trade kicker.

“Nico is an integral part of this era of Clippers basketball,” Frank said. “His skill, selflessness and high IQ elevate the entire team. He sees the game, and he makes willing plays, whether obvious or subtle. We only benefit from Nico’s presence.”

Batum, who played for the Clippers from 2020-2023, was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in October 2023 as part of the trade that brought James Harden to Los Angeles. Batum, 36, rejoined the Clippers as a free agent last summer.

He appeared in 78 games last season and averaged 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists, while shooting 43.3% from 3-point range (tied for third highest in the NBA) and was a finalist for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award.

He is one of seven active NBA players with career totals of at least 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 1,500 3-pointers.

The Clippers also announced they have officially signed veteran center Brook Lopez to a reported two-year, $18 million deal.

“Brook is an elite rim protector and range shooter who will bring a different dimension to our frontcourt,” Frank said. “He is also a former champion and a genuine pro who will be a great addition to our group.”

Lopez, 37, averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots (fourth in NBA) last season, playing 31.8 minutes per game in 80 games with the Milwaukee Bucks. He shot 50.9% (394 for 774) from the field, 37.3% (139 for 373) from 3-point range and 82.6% (114 for 138) from the free-throw line.

Last season marked Lopez’s third straight with 100+ 3-pointers and 100+ blocks, and the sixth in his career, the most in NBA history.

The move, which erases $4.75 million in salary, gives the Clippers more space under the first apron of the salary cap.

Eubanks, a midseason trade acquisition, averaged 4.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.6 blocked shots off the bench for the Clippers. He joined the team, along with veteran guard Patty Mills, last February in a deal with Utah that sent Mo Bamba, P.J. Tucker, a 2030 second-round draft pick and cash considerations to the Jazz.

With veteran Brook Lopez, 37, joining the Clippers on a two-year, $18 million free agent deal, Eubanks became expendable. Lopez will now back up starter Ivica Zubac.

Eubanks, however, plans to sign with the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal after he clears waivers, according to ESPN.

The move brings Lopez back home, having been born in North Hollywood.

At 7-foot-1, the 37-year-old Lopez provides the Clippers with a quality stretch option off the bench and someone who should ease Zubac’s workload. Without a solid backup, Zubac averaged nearly 33 minutes per game last season.

After his one season with the Lakers, Lopez joined the Bucks as a free agent, where he played alongside forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for the past seven seasons and helped the team win the 2021 NBA title.

Last season, he averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocked shots while shooting 37.3% from 3-point range. A 2013 All-Star, Lopez was the runner-up for the 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Clippers made finding a center one of their offseason priorities and reportedly had been interested in acquiring Clint Capela or Luke Kornet. Capela agreed to return to the Houston Rockets, where he played his first six NBA seasons, while Kornet is leaving Boston to join the San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers are still looking for a point guard to back up 11-time All-Star James Harden, who agreed to a new two-year, $81.5 million deal to stay with the team.

Earlier Monday, the Clippers agreed to a new deal to bring back versatile veteran forward Nicolas Batum.

The deal includes a team option as well as a trade kicker. His contract is the maximum he can receive with his non-Bird rights.

Batum opted out of his $4.9 million player option over the weekend, making him a free agent, but the versatile 36-year-old had expressed his desire to stay with the Clippers at the end of last season. He credits Coach Tyronn Lue for “saving his career” after finding out through social media that he had been waived by the Charlotte Hornets in 2020. Batum had been sidelined for much of that season because of injuries.

The 6-foot-10 Batum has said he thought his career was over at that point. Then Lue invited Batum to come to Los Angeles, where he played for three seasons before being sent to the Philadelphia 76ers in the trade that brought James Harden to the Clippers in 2023.

Now heading into his 18th season in the NBA, the two-time Olympic silver medalist has previously said that this upcoming season will likely be his last.

The Clippers still have tax and apron flexibility to use the full mid-level exception or make a big trade.

Batum’s deal comes one day after James Harden declined his player option. Harden is expected to sign a two-year, $81.5 million deal to stay with the Clippers.

The team didn’t have to wait long to find out if the superstar point guard intended to seek a deal with another team or stay put. Harden reportedly declined his $36.3 million player option on Sunday and is expected to sign a new two-year, $81.5 million deal, increasing his yearly salary and cementing his role on the veteran-laden team.

According to ESPN, the second year of Harden’s deal has a player option and is partially guaranteed, which helps provide the Clippers with flexibility for the future and this coming season.

Harden, who turns 36 in August, earned All-NBA honors for the first time since 2019-20 after another stellar regular season in which he averaged 22.8 points and 8.7 assists per game. He was credited as key to keeping the Clippers afloat during Kawhi Leonard’s absence in the first half of the season.

“James was phenomenal, and we hope to continue to see his play,” Frank said last week after the first round of the draft.

The Harden deal gives the Clippers access to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which they could split among multiple players as they look to land a seasoned backup center and point guard.

Luke Kornet, who becomes a free agent when his current contract with the Boston Celtics expires, could be a solid addition as a backup to Ivica Zubac. The Celtics have stated their intention to keep the 7-foot-1 center, and the San Antonio Spurs have expressed interest in acquiring him as well.

The Clippers also have reportedly looked into re-signing Chris Paul, who played for the team from 2011-2017. Paul, who signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Spurs last season, has said he wants to return to Los Angeles, where his family lives, or at least closer to California.

The Phoenix Suns are also among the teams that have expressed interest in the 40-year-old point guard.

Paul, who could be a solid backup to Harden, averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists in 28 minutes last season, playing in all 82 games. He shot 42.7% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range.

Leonard has two years remaining on his contract, so the Harden deal keeps them on similar timelines.