All Pistons

Pistons Reportedly Targeted Notable NBA Veteran Before Shocking Move

The Detroit Pistons reportedly had their eyes on Patrick Beverley.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 13, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles and is fouled by Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley (22) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles and is fouled by Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley (22) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports | Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Detroit Pistons

Late last week, NBA veteran Patrick Beverley made it known he was considering a potential move beyond the NBA. The 36-year-old guard had one-year deals in the NBA available to him.

According to Sportal’s Christos Tsaltas, the Detroit Pistons were one of two teams showing interest in Beverley. The Houston Rockets were the other organization.

Ultimately, Beverley will move on from the NBA, but retirement isn’t near. Instead, Beverley is signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

Playing outside of the United States is nothing foreign to Beverley. After he was selected in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, Beverley played overseas in Ukraine, Greece, and Russia. It wasn’t until 2012 that Beverley entered the NBA as a member of the Rockets.

Since 2012, Beverley suited up for seven teams. The first nine seasons of his career were spent with the Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers. In 2021, Beverley played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. That would be the final season he spent an entire run on one team.

In 2022-2023, Beverley split time with the LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls. Last year, he started the season off with the Philadelphia 76ers before finishing off with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Beverley could’ve been the ideal leader for Detroit’s second unit in 2024-2025. In his run with the Bucks, Beverley produced six points, four rebounds, and three assists per game. He knocked down 36 percent of his threes. Defensively, Beverley averaged nearly one steal and one block per game.

A young and rebuilding Pistons team could use all of the veteran leadership it can get. While the Pistons acquired multiple valuable veterans this offseason, it seems a veteran’s minimum contract wasn’t enough to lure the two-way standout in. Instead, the Chicago-born guard will head to Israel.

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow JGrasso_
Home/News