Lakers News: Patrick Beverley's Response To Lakers Trade Is Priceless
10-year veteran point guard Patrick Beverley, currently with the Jazz, is reportedly being routed to the Los Angeles Lakers thanks to a trade headlined by swingman Talen Horton-Tucker. Forward Stanley Johnson looks to have been thrown into the deal for salary-matching purposes.
Upon seeing news of the swap this morning, Beverley himself registered his enthusiasm with an excited tweet:
Note his use of triple-exclamation points here. The man is pumped.
As well he should be. The 6'1" vet, who logged five productive years with the Lakers' Crypto.com roommates, the Clippers, will return to sunny Southern California following a season in Minnesota. He joins one of the league's most storied teams, a 17-time champion, boasting two first-ballot Hall of Famers still playing at an All-Star level in forward LeBron James and big man Anthony Davis.
Funnily enough, Beverley commented on how much he believed his addition on the Lakers could benefit this current L.A. roster while a guest on SportsCenter during the 2022 postseason:
Beverley was referring to the veteran-laden Lakers roster of the 2021-22 season, which frankly seems relatively bonkers. Even with Beverley, it's hard to see that club's defense rising to a championship level. On the offensive end, LeBron James was the only player converting his triples at a rate above league average.
This writer is skeptical that Beverley, alongside this new, younger roster that at present still boasts limited shooting, would be able to lift the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals. That said, this writer is equally skeptical that the Lakers front office won't do more to address its long-range needs via trade in the months ahead.
