Clippers’ Bradley Beal to give up No. 3 for Chris Paul
The Los Angeles Clippers have made a concerted effort to acquire veteran players this summer, with the team seeking to do everything within its power to compete in the tough Western Conference, led by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The two most recent moves for the Clippers were signing Bradley Beal and then inking a deal with the former face of the franchise, Chris Paul.
Both moves are considered steps in the right direction, at least in the short term, with the Clippers now having one of the most stacked rosters in the West.
With Paul set to return to the team that he essentially put on the map, Beal is willing to give up his No. 3 to the veteran point guard out of respect, according to the president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“He’s worn No. 3 his entire NBA career,” Frank said of Beal on Tuesday. “Three All-Star appearances. I think he scored over 17,000 points in jersey No. 3. But he also knows what that jersey means to Chris and there’s a reason why he’s ‘CP3.’ And just the significance of Chris coming back to the Clippers. Brad volunteered giving Chris his number.
“Once Brad heard that it was a possibility that Chris was coming, he said, ‘I want to give him my number.’ And I don’t even think Chris knows this yet. So it’s awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that.”
The real question moving forward is whether the moves the Clippers have made this summer make them a legitimate title contender in the West. Along with bringing in Paul and Beal, the team has signed Brook Lopez and traded Norman Powell in a deal to receive John Collins in return.
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Substantial moves, but it remains to be seen if it is enough to win the West.
