With free agency quickly approaching on June 30, there are two routes the Los Angeles Lakers could ultimately go.
The Lakers could use most of their cap space on one big name or spread the money around for multiple high-quality role players. If they go the latter, one of the names being mentioned as a possibility is Patrick Beverley.
Considering the team’s roster needs, Beverley makes a ton of sense. He is a point guard who is used to playing off the ball, an excellent defender, and a career 38% shooter from the three-point line. The question is whether or not the Lakers will be able to bring him in.
Getting Beverley to join the purple and gold could be pretty costly as according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Beverley is seeking a deal worth a three-year deal worth over $40 million and the Lakers are one of the expected suitors:
Sources: Patrick Beverley is seeking a deal in the three-year, $40+ million range. Suitors include Mavs, Lakers, Bulls and Clippers. Agent Bill Duffy also represents Luka Doncic and is known to be intrigued by idea of pairing bulldog Beverley with the young playmaker.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 27, 2019
It’s still unclear exactly how much money the Lakers will have to spend in free agency but barring them clearing max cap room — which would mean they’ve agreed to a deal with one of the top names — signing Beverley would cost the Lakers more than half of their cap room. Whether or not he’s worth that much is up for debate.
What isn’t debatable is that Beverley will go to the highest bidder. He has been very clear that he wants to get paid so if the Lakers aren’t willing to outbid the other teams, they won’t be acquiring his services. The Lakers are a team he has his eye on as he recently told TMZ Sports:
“Oh, for sure. Of course. You got Anthony Davis and LeBron James. They make themselves a very exciting team.”
There are so many possibilities for the Lakers this summer which is what makes free agency so intriguing. In addition to being linked to someone like Kawhi Leonard, they have also been mentioned as possibilities for the likes of Al Horford, D’Angelo Russell, and Enes Kanter.
Beverley checks all the boxes for the ideal role player to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but he’s going to be costly. And by all accounts, money is the only factor that matters in negotiations with him.