TITLE: Bradley Beal sidelined for season as hip fracture requires surgery
SLUG: bradley-beal-out-for-season-with-hip-fracture
CONTENT:
Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal will miss the rest of the 2023-24 campaign after being diagnosed with a hip fracture that will require season-ending surgery, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN the decision followed consultations with multiple specialists and the Clippers’ medical staff, calling the procedure “the best path to a full and complete recovery.” Recovery is expected to take six to nine months, The Athletic’s Law Murray reported.
The setback ends Beal’s first year in Los Angeles after signing a two-year, $10.98 million contract during the summer. The 30-year-old appeared in just six games, averaging 8.2 points on 38 percent shooting. Injuries have limited him to fewer than 60 games in every season since 2018-19.
With surgery looming, Beal is widely expected to exercise his $5.62 million player option for 2026-27. The Clippers could apply for a disabled player exception worth roughly $2.7 million but remain hard-capped and cannot add a 15th player until January.
In Beal’s absence, veterans Bogdan Bogdanovic and Chris Paul are likely to shoulder more responsibility, while forward John Collins should see an expanded role alongside James Harden and Kawhi Leonard when the roster is healthy.
Source: Hoops Wire
