The NBA offseason sometimes feels like a game of dominoes. One move, one signing, one trade can kick off a whole chain reaction that changes everything in the league. And right now, one of the biggest dominoes of this summer is about to fall. According to a new report from insider Xin Varlock, Bradley Beal’s chapter with Phoenix is about to reach its conclusion, and he also revealed his next destination. In a wild twist, what happens because of that move is expected to send another future Hall of Famer right back to the Valley.

The Bradley Beal situation in Phoenix has been, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe put it, a “disaster.” After the “Big Three” experiment totally fell apart, the Suns were left with an aging roster and a huge contract they couldn’t get rid of. Beal is still owed $110 million over the next two years and has a rare no-trade clause, which means he holds all the cards. For the Suns, a team going through a complete rebuild, getting his salary off their books is absolutely necessary. A buyout, which would give them a much-needed $13.9 million in immediate cash relief and help them get under the luxury tax limits, has become their only real way forward.

And that path is about to be unlocked.  On Tuesday, Varlock dropped a bombshell on X (formerly Twitter), reporting that a buyout between Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns is coming very soon. And he didn’t stop there. “SOURCE: Brad Beal going to Clippers after buyout,” he wrote. “CP3 will sign with Suns for portion of MLE. Will happen within the next week.” This news dropped like a bombshell, and could potentially send shockwaves through the Western Conference if this deal goes through.

What makes this rumor so fascinating is that just a few days ago, the buzz around the Clippers was focused on a completely different reunion. After they traded away Norman Powell in a three-team deal, freeing up a roster spot and a need for a veteran guard, many insiders linked them to a potential one-year deal for Chris Paul. The logic was sound: Paul could provide veteran leadership for one last run without compromising the Clippers’ long-term financial flexibility.

And the final piece of the puzzle is Chris Paul’s own future. The veteran point guard has made it crystal clear that he is on his last legs. “I’ll be 41 when the season is over,” he said in a recent interview. “And that’ll be it for me.” He confirmed that the 2025-26 season will be his farewell tour. Therefore, for a Clippers team acquiring a dynamic scorer like Beal makes a lot more sense than bringing in a point guard for one last ride. And for the Suns, getting a respected veteran leader like CP3 to mentor their young players, all while getting out from under Beal’s massive contract, is a massive win.

The domino before the domino — how the John Collins trade paved the way for Bradley Beal

The impending arrival of Bradley Beal is the headline, but it’s the move the Clippers made to clear the way for him that is truly compelling. In a three-team deal last week, they sent Norman Powell to the Miami Heat and acquired power forward John Collins from the Utah Jazz. It was a move that, at the time, seemed like a simple roster-balancing trade. But in reality, it was the first, crucial step in a larger plan to get bigger, more athletic, and more versatile.

As Clippers’ president of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, explained, the team identified a need for more athletic size in the frontcourt — citing the effectiveness of players like the Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon in the playoffs. “Sometimes you have to make a decision between getting a great athlete who may struggle shooting the ball from range, versus getting the really skilled player who just maybe is just an average functional athlete,” Frank said. “John has shown the ability to be both, which is huge.”

Collins, who is just 27, is a hyper-athletic, 6-foot-9 forward who is a much better shooter than his predecessor in the “big forward” spot, Blake Griffin. He’s also a ferocious finisher at the rim, with over 800 dunks in his career. His ability to both stretch the floor with his three-point shooting and attack the basket gives the Clippers a dynamic new weapon on offense.

But his fit isn’t without its challenges. Collins is not a great ball-handler or playmaker, and his defense has been inconsistent throughout his career. “I think they’re going to challenge him,” Frank said of how the coaching staff plans to use him. “They’re going to push him to do things at the highest level… I think what Jeff [Van Gundy] does with the defensive system, he eliminates a lot of the gray and he eliminates the overthinking.”

The trade for Collins and the expected signing of Beal mean a complete change in how the Clippers do things. They’re moving away from having mostly “three wings and a big” and towards a taller, more athletic lineup. It’s a bold, risky plan, and it will put a ton of pressure on head coach Tyronn Lue to make all the new pieces work together. But for a team that’s going all-in to win a championship now, it’s a gamble they’ll have to make.