NBA

Clippers to sign SG Bradley Beal to two-year, $11 million contract

At last, the uneasy marriage between the Suns and Beal is over — in a physical sense. Financially, Phoenix is far from off the hook, as it still owes the guard $96.1 million over the next two seasons. That lavish amount will likely be stretched over five seasons, but nonetheless, the Suns will feel the pain of trading for Beal’s contract for a long time.

The Suns’ plight, however, is the Clippers’ boon. Beal is returning $13.9 million to Phoenix as part of his buyout, and LA will owe him even less than that — an affordable $11 million. The Clippers weren’t able to secure Beal for the long run — his two-year pact includes a player option — but this is an excellent add for what should be a good Clippers team.

Beal’s game has cratered since the end of his tenure with the Wizards, but the 32-year-old is still a passable replacement for Norman Powell, whom LA dealt to Miami in a trade for John Collins. There’ll be a similar amount of pressure on Beal with his new club as there was with the Suns, but at least the financial component will be a polar opposite.

LA — if it needs anything — could use some help on the perimeter. James Harden will consume most of the lead guard duties, but Beal should thrive as a secondary playmaker. Further down the line, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones and Nicolas Batum function as bigger wings, so there’ll be a place for Beal to serve as a smaller wing alongside them. Fits aren’t normally as easy in real life as they are on paper, but the idea of Beal on this team is fun.

The guard averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game last season. It’s fair to expect those numbers to drop even lower this year, with Beal aging and occupying a lesser role. 26 or so minutes per game is a fair estimate for him this season, which would easily be the lowest of his career. Never mind that, though, as Beal could be the piece that vaults these Clippers into true contention. On the other hand, maybe he’s just completely washed and doesn’t help. Who knows — that’s why they play the games, right?

Grade: A-

Bucks sign SF Chris Livingston to one-year, $2.3 million contract

The Bucks are trying to stay relatively young while also pushing their chips in during the latter part of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime. I commend the effort, but Livingston feels like a lost cause. The 21-year-old hasn’t contributed anything of note over his first two seasons. He’s fared well this summer, but a couple of Summer League contests doesn’t make an NBA player. In all likelihood, Milwaukee is wasting a valuable roster spot on a cheap lottery ticket.

Grade: C+

MLB

Pirates receive:
SS Cam Devanney

Royals receive:
2B Adam Frazier

Well, the reunion between the Pirates and Frazier didn’t last long. In what amounts to a minor move, Pittsburgh will send the infielder back to Kansas City, where he played all of last season. Frazier has typically played his best baseball with the Pirates, so it’s uncertain whether he can perform adequately with the Royals.

The cost for Kansas City to find out isn’t high, as Devanney, 28, isn’t ranked as a prospect. The Royals are on the periphery of the AL wild-card race, so it’s unrealistic to expect Frazier to vault them into contention.

The 33-year-old is hitting .255 this year with three homers and 21 RBIs.

Pirates Grade: D+

Royals Grade: B