The Los Angeles Clippers opened training camp on September 29 without four of their key players. Bradley Beal and Brandon Ingram lead the injury list, joined by forward Nerlens Miller and big man Jalen Niederhauser, as head coach Ty Lue begins the task of integrating a revamped roster.
Beal and Ingram sidelined at camp opening
Beal, acquired this offseason to add veteran scoring punch, is sitting out camp with an undisclosed lower-body issue. He turns 34 in January and carries a significant injury history, having appeared in just 55 games last season. The Clippers have been cautious with him and expect him back before the start of the preseason schedule.
Ingram, who arrived via trade from New Orleans last February, is managing a right shoulder issue that did not require surgery but needs time. He averaged 24.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game with the Pelicans before the move and is viewed as the anchor of the starting unit alongside Norman Powell and Kawhi Leonard.
Miller and Niederhauser complete the injury list
Miller, a second-year wing, has a sprained left ankle suffered during pickup runs in August. Niederhauser, the Swiss center who joined on a two-year minimum deal, is recovering from minor knee maintenance performed in the summer. Neither absence is expected to extend into the regular season.
A new direction, a tight timeline
Los Angeles enters 2026-27 with renewed ambitions after a first-round exit last spring. Ty Lue’s squad carries a tighter roster — fewer expensive veterans, more two-way flexibility — with the front office’s stated goal of building depth around Kawhi Leonard, who turns 35 in June.
Four absences on day one is not a crisis. But the Clippers cannot afford an extended preseason without Beal or Ingram, two players whose offensive fit has yet to be tested under game conditions. Per Yahoo Sports, both are listed day-to-day and could return to practice before the end of the week. The team opens its preseason slate October 8 in Sacramento.
