Patrick Beverley projects to bring some much-needed edge and competitive fire to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season.
Beverley is looking like the Lakers’ only trade during the offseason, though they reportedly have remained in talks with the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles is still actively looking to improve the roster, and a deal with Utah could be on the horizon depending on their willingness to attach more picks or swaps.
The recently acquired point guard was sent to the Jazz as part of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster, and even though it made sense for him to get rerouted, he revealed his trade to the Lakers was unexpected, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“The Minnesota trade came out sideways. Obviously no one on my team…we didn’t expect for that to happen so I’m preparing like I’m going back to Minnesota. I get a call, ‘You’re traded to Utah.’ My mindset I gotta take Utah to the playoffs. That’s just my mindset.
“You hear things…you’re on the Internet, I’m on the Internet you hear things. You don’t know how true it is until it finally happens that’s when it really hits you like, ‘I’m a Laker.’ When we got that call or whatever…the guy or whoever put it out, Woj or whoever, it was almost like…you want something it’s finally here. I’m just super excited about it. Like I said, to play with those three guys and the coaches. His first year…I’ve been with a coach where he coached his first year. It’s super exciting, you focus on nothing but winning. To go through that whole process again, I’m very excited.”
The Jazz are certainly in a rebuild after trading away both Donovan Mitchell and Gobert, so sending Beverley off was the best move for their future. From L.A.’s perspective, Beverley is a near-perfect complement to its stars and brings plenty of intangibles that were missing from the team last year.
All signs seem to be pointing toward the current iteration of the roster being the one that plays on Opening Night, but with the front office still actively pursuing deals, perhaps changes will be made in the coming weeks.
Patrick Beverley looking forward to playing for Darvin Ham
So far, head coach Darvin Ham has said all the right things and seems like the man to help lead the Lakers back to the postseason. Ham has spoken highly of Beverley since the guard came to Los Angeles and Beverley expressed his excitement about playing for Ham this upcoming season.
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