Former Sixers Trade Target Gets Dealt to Lakers
Patrick Beverley has been on the move over the last couple of years. After getting his NBA start with the Daryl Morey-led Houston Rockets, Beverley was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017.
Beverley served the Clippers well for four seasons before getting traded to the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2021 offseason. Less than ten days after getting dealt to Memphis, Beverley was flipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that kept him around for the year.
Despite having one of his more productive years in recent time with the Timberwolves, Beverley was once again moved in the blockbuster trade that netted the Timberwolves the star center, Rudy Gobert.
Although Beverley embraced playing for the Utah Jazz next season, it was evident he could be on the move again. That’s when the veteran guard was linked to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Something the Sixers Might’ve Considered
Joel Embiid urged his team’s front office to find an enforcer in the offseason. While Embiid used P.J. Tucker as an example, a player like Beverley certainly fit the bill.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report mentioned the Sixers as a possible trade suitor for Beverley back in July. Considering Beverley has ties to Morey and James Harden from his Houston days and played for Doc Rivers in Los Angeles, Beverley going to the City of Brotherly Love would make sense.
However, Philly’s trade for De’Anthony Melton made it more difficult to believe that the Sixers would go out and get a defensive-minded guard to come off the bench.
Headed Back to Cali
After some speculation that Beverley could get traded for the fourth time in less than two years, the veteran guard is indeed on his way out of Utah and headed back to a familiar city.
Beverley might’ve viewed the Los Angeles Lakers as rivals before, but now he joins the organization as a member of the team.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Jazz and the Lakers struck a deal on Wednesday night, shipping Beverley to LA. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz acquired Los Angeles guard Talen Horton-Tucker, and Stanley Johnson.
The Sixers’ chances of trading for Beverley quickly faded back in July. After the Melton acquisition, only two teams were rumored to be in the mix for Beverley in the Miami Heat and the Lakers. At this point, the latter squad will see a defensive boost in their backcourt for the upcoming season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
