Overview
- Beal will undergo season-ending surgery for a left hip fracture and is projected to need roughly six to nine months to recover, per the team and his agent.
- He was injured against the Suns on Nov. 8, missed the following game after imaging, and the surgery decision came after consultations with multiple specialists alongside Clippers medical staff.
- The 32-year-old appeared in six games for Los Angeles, averaging 8.2 points on limited minutes following a preseason knee scope.
- The Clippers can seek a disabled player exception of about $2.68 million but cannot exceed the hard cap and are carrying 14 standard contracts, with practical room to add a 15th player not opening until January.
- Los Angeles has started 3–7 and dropped six straight as Kawhi Leonard remains sidelined by ankle and foot sprains with no firm return date, and rival stakeholders such as the Thunder and 76ers could benefit from potential draft-pick effects tied to Clippers results.