The Golden State Warriors are in some turmoil right now both an and off the court, having lost five of their past seven games including a 126-102 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
Yet the pacific rival L.A. Clippers find themselves in a far more precarious position early in the season, and now even more so after it was announced on Wednesday that Bradley Beal -- who the Warriors themselves had interest in during the summer -- would miss the rest of the season due to a hip fracture.
Warriors dodged a free agency disaster with Bradley Beal
The devastating injury news comes amid a 3-7 start to the season for the Clippers who, very much like the Warriors, had geared up with a deep veteran teams with the hopes of pushing themselves into some sort of contention.
Beal was to be a big part of that, having become available following a buyout with the Phoenix Suns where he underwhelmed significantly for two seasons. The 3x All-Star's numbers and impact in Phoenix were incredibly disappointing, but it also came within the context of a massive $50+ million per year contract.
Beal was therefore seen as a bargain pickup in free agency, which is exactly why the Warriors reportedly chased him in the hope of adding another dynamic scorer within what's proving a lackluster offense early in the season.
Just in: Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal has a fracture in his hip and will undergo season-ending surgery, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/XrwyOTUdOo
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 12, 2025
Golden State's pursuit of Al Horford meant they could only offer a minimum contract though, meaning the Clippers always had the inside running on the veteran guard. That only became more obvious once they moved Norman Powell in a multi-team trade for John Collins, with the Beal signing coming shortly thereafter.
In hindsight, that's been a disaster for the Clippers. Beal fell far below expectations in his six appearances before this injury, averaging 8.2 points on 37.5% shooting from the floor while the team was outscored by 23 in his 121 minutes.
Collins has actually been solid in shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range, but that's still nothing compared to Powell who, in Miami, is averaging a career-high 24.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting a blistering 45.8% from beyond the arc.
What appeared like good business initially is now proving regretful for the Clippers, while the Warriors, despite their own issues, will be thankful that Beal turned them down. Perhaps the fortunes are different and the 32-year-old never gets injured had he gone to Golden State, but this is now a player who hasn't played more than 60 games since the 2018-19 season.