Beal Is Back, and the Clippers' Offseason Picture Is Finally Complete

Bradley Beal agreed to a two-year, $13.2 million deal with a player option in year two — a quiet signing that closes out a loud summer. After the Leonard trade cleared last week and Ingram and Dick officially joined the roster, this was the last significant piece to settle. The Clippers now know what they have.

Beal's first season here barely happened. Injuries limited him, and whatever role the front office envisioned never materialized. The three-time All-Star is getting a genuine second chance, and at that price the downside is manageable. If he's healthy and functional, he's a legitimate secondary scorer in a backcourt that will need one — Harden can't do everything, and last season's late-game efficiency numbers made that plain enough.

The roster as it stands: Harden running the offense, Ingram and Beal as the perimeter pieces, Zubac and the newly signed Jamarion Sharp handling the paint, Collins and Derrick Jones Jr. filling out the rotation. It's a real group. Whether it's a 50-win group in the West is a different question, and one that won't get answered until November. For now, the Clippers have done what they needed to do — replace Leonard's production by committee and add enough depth to stay competitive. The bet is that Beal's second year looks nothing like his first.