According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to acquire point guard Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.
The deal is expected to be finalised on Thursday, according to Wojnarowski, who also stated that “Beverley was eager to join the Lakers in a trade, sources said, and thrilled to learn of the impending deal.”
Beverley arrived in Utah in early July as part of the blockbuster deal that sent centre Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 34-year-old Chicago native is coming off a season with the Wolves in which he averaged 9.2 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 58 games.
In FiveThirtyEight’s WAR metric, he graded out positively on both ends of the floor, ranking 61st among all NBA players (5.4).
Beverley told KRIV’s Mark Berman that being traded to the Jazz didn’t surprise him because he’s grown accustomed to switching teams.
“Surprised? No way in this line of work. You can’t be surprised, can you? “He stated. “I understand. In this business, it’s never personal; it’s always business. We accomplished a lot in Minnesota. We redesigned the environment there. We sort of gave the fans something to cheer about.”
Beverley, a second-round pick in 2009, began his pro career in Europe before making his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets in 2012-13. After five years with the Rockets, he spent four with the Clippers and one with the Wolves.
In 526 career games, the University of Arkansas product has averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. He’s frequently been tasked with guarding the opposing team’s top guard scorer, and he earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honours in 2016-17.
Beverley is a low-risk acquisition for the Lakers. He’s a consistent defender, which helps offset some offensive slumps for the career 41.4 percent shooter, and he’s on a one-year, $13 million contract with no long-term commitment.
Following Russell Westbrook’s move to Los Angeles, he should serve as his primary backup. When he’s on the court with Austin Reaves, the team’s backcourt defence should be fantastic.
