The Los Angeles Lakers have consistently struck out in their attempt to rid themselves of Russell Westbrook this offseason. Not only is No. 0 still around, but they added his sworn enemy in former Clippers guard Patrick Beverley to the roster after a trade with the rebuilding Utah Jazz.
If those two can bury the hatched, Beverley’s skillset actually fits in well with what Los Angeles wants to do on both ends. They needed some extra defense and 3-point shooting to run Darvin Ham’s system, and Beverley can provide both of those two things in spades.
Given his contract situation, there is some speculation that one of the league’s most prominent nomads could only be in LA for one season before he calls it quits. However, some around the league believe that Beverley could come back if the scheme and the culture Ham has created appeal to him.
According to Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, one NBA coach said that Beverley would likely be interested in staying with the Lakers for a little less than the mid-level exception. If age doesn’t start sapping Beverley’s talents away, this could be quite the raging success for Los Angeles.
Will Patrick Beverley stay with the Los Angeles Lakers?
The loudmouthed veteran averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while playing his trademark annoying brand of defense. Beverley shot 34% from 3-point range last year, but he was made at least 38% of his triples in the past five seasons. He’ll get back on track.
The Lakers could be free of Westbrook, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis are so expensive that LA will be forced to dumpster-dive for aging veterans and reclamation projects to round out their bench. At least in the case of Beverley, LA knows the kind of standout player they would be getting.
While it seems silly to suggest that just having Beverley on your team is a good luck charm, Beverley has helped the Rockets, Clippers, and even the lowly Timberwolves make it to the postseason while he was on the bench. That bodes well for the Lakers as they try to get back on the right track.
Beverley is not going to completely change the scope of the team’s rotation, but Rob Pelinka managed to partially save a lackluster offseason by removing some dead weight in Talen Horton-Tucker in order to add a player that has contributed to winning basketball for the next few years.
Why the Lakers won’t make a Russell Westbrook trade with the Jazz
The Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly having ongoing trade talks but it does not matter. LA won't trade Russell Westbrook to Utah.