After a 129-101 loss to the Magic on Thursday, the Clippers are 4-11 in 2025-26. The team is 1-9 in their last 10 games and has lost four straight.
Early in the year, the Clippers are dealing with several injuries. Kawhi Leonard has played in six of the team’s 15 games this season. He’s missed nine consecutive games due to an ankle injury. Additionally, Derrick Jones Jr. is out for at least six weeks due to a sprained MCL in his right knee. To make matters worse, Bradley Beal suffered a fractured hip on November 8 and is done for the season. On Friday, the Clippers applied for a disabled player exception.
The Clippers need to get healthy if they want to compete in the West
Los Angeles Clippers have applied for a disabled player exception due to losing Bradley Beal for the season with a hip injury, per @JakeLFischer
The DPE would be for around $2.7M, half of Beal’s salary pic.twitter.com/YqxVWOLw21
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 21, 2025
Bradley Beal spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Wizards. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Beal requested a trade from Washington. It was a long and drawn-out process, but the SG eventually found his way to Phoenix. His tenure with the Suns lasted just two years. During the 2025 offseaosn, Bradley Beal and the Suns agreed to a contract buyout. This allowed the 32-year-old to sign with the Clippers for the 2025-26 season.
The veteran SG started six games for the Clippers before suffering a fractured hip on November 8. This was a season-ending injury for Beal. With Bradley Beal done for the year, the Clippers have applied for a disabled player exception. Teams are allowed to do this when a player suffers an injury that will keep them out past June 15. That is the case for Clippers Bradley Beal. This disabled player exception can be used to acquire a player on an expiring contract via a trade or waiver claim.
Brad Beal in six games as a Clipper:
8.2 PPG
1.7 APGSeason over. pic.twitter.com/dG0BEb17yf
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 12, 2025
Additionally, the value of the disabled player exception is equivalent to either the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or half of the injured player’s salary. Bradley Beal has a $5.35 million salary in 2025-26. His disabled player exception will be worth $2.7 million. Los Angeles has a deadline of March 10 to use the disabled player exception for Bradley Beal.
NBA insider Jake Fischer noted that the Clippers have a slight issue. The team is operating just $1.28 million away from the first-apron hard cap. In no circumstance is a team allowed to exceed that number. If the Clippers are awarded the disabled player exception for Bradley Beal, they’ll need to shed money from the roster.
