Clippers’ Bradley Beal out for season with hip fracture

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal is done for the season. Kawhi Leonard has a sprained ankle and foot and has no timetable for a return.

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Beal suffered a hip fracture and will undergo surgery next week, the team announced Wednesday. He is expected to make a full recovery in six to nine months.

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“This is a very, very random injury,” said Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations. “The surgeon said it's almost like being in a car accident. It's not a typical basketball injury. It's more of an acute injury.”

Leonard missed his fifth game of the season after spraining his right ankle Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets.

“It wasn’t just a sprained ankle,” Frank said when asked to talk about Leonard. “He also had a bad foot sprain. He's made really good progress.”

Leonard is receiving treatment several times a day and will accompany the team on its upcoming seven-game road trip, which begins Friday in Dallas.

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Beal suffered the injury last Saturday in the second quarter of a game against his former team, Phoenix, at the Intuit Dome. The next day he had an MRI, and then a CT scan confirmed the fracture.

“He feels like he let us down by getting injured. He feels terrible not being there for his teammates,” Frank said. “He was looking forward to having a really, really good year.”

The three-time All-Star has played in just six games this season, averaging 8.2 points and 1.7 assists. He signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers in July after the Suns bought out the final two years of his contract.

The 32-year-old has already missed games due to a left knee injury suffered before his time with the Clippers, as well as lower back pain. According to Frank, he was placed on a minute restriction while trying to reduce inflammation in his knee.

“It's tough for our guys to hear that,” coach Tyronn Lue said, “especially from a guy who is a great guy and did everything he could to get back on the floor.”

Beal's two seasons in Phoenix were riddled with injuries. The 14-year veteran hasn't played at least 60 games in a season since the 2020-21 season, when he was with the Washington Wizards.