James Harden wasn’t just a bystander in the Clippers’ pursuit of Bradley Beal, he was the driving force behind it.
Harden became “the key voice” during Los Angeles’ recruitment of the three-time All-Star, working both the Clippers’ front office and Beal directly to seal the deal, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“Harden sold Beal on the Clippers’ depth and talked about how he would work well with Powell, who had a career-best season playing alongside Harden after replacing Paul George in the starting lineup last season,” Windhorst reported.
“He outlined how the Clippers had embraced and helped him pivot in his career after disappointing runs in Brooklyn and Philadelphia damaged his reputation. Beal, coming off a disappointing run in Phoenix that had similarly stunted his value across the league, could relate.
“Harden even took the unusual step of speaking with [Beal’s agent] Mark Bartelstein after all parties, including Harden’s agents, approved the conversation. Recruiting a star peer is commonplace in the NBA; recruiting another agent to get on board is not.”
Bartelstein reflected on Beal’s mindset during the process, “No one wants to be released. There’s heartache with that. But Bradley wants to be in a position where no one remembers he got released, that they’ll remember how he plays next season.”
If Beal can regain his All-Star form, Harden may find himself running an offense even deadlier than last year’s Clippers unit, which scored at a top-10 clip after Kawhi Leonard returned in January.
Harden – who recorded 114 assists to Norman Powell last season – could be on track for his fifth consecutive top-five finish in assists per game.
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