The Los Angeles Lakers did not make the huge trade during the offseason that many believed they would, but they did make something of a smaller deal in acquiring veteran point guard Patrick Beverley. A huge part of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff push last year, Beverley was brought in to bring defense, 3-point shooting and leadership to this Lakers team.
It has been a disappointing year for Beverley, however, especially from an offensive standpoint. While he has been solid defensively for the Lakers, he is averaging just 4.6 points on 30.3 percent shooting from the field and 25.4 percent from 3-point range. Recently, Beverley’s name has been popping up in potential trade rumors as the Lakers look to make a smaller deal ahead of the trade deadline and the veteran has an idea of where he would like to go.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Beverley would prefer to return to the Timberwolves if he is traded to a team and subsequently bought out:
Los Angeles’ primary trade efforts at this juncture have centered around a much smaller outgoing package of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and a protected future first, sources told Yahoo Sports. The Lakers approached Detroit with that proposal in hopes of prying away Bojan Bogdanovic. The pick in question, however, was heavily protected, sources said, and the Pistons seem keen to hold out for a more tangible draft asset to part with Bogdanovic. Should Beverley ultimately get moved to a rebuilding situation like the Pistons, the grizzled guard has a desire to return to Minnesota, sources said, should he reach free agency via buyout.
Beverley had perhaps his biggest role to date with the Timberwolves and was such a major part of that team’s success, so desiring a return there makes a lot of sense. Beverley has not lived up to expectations in his time with the Lakers yet, but his contract is big enough to bring back some depth for the Lakers with an asset attached to it.
With Russell Westbrook thriving in his role off the bench, the Lakers are now less likely to move him meaning Beverley and Kendrick Nunn represent the team’s best chance at getting a player or two back who can really help the Lakers become contenders.
Beverley has no use on a young team with no playoff aspirations, so a return to the place where he had his greatest success would undoubtedly appeal to him.
Lakers ‘highly unlikely’ to trade Russell Westbrook before trade deadline
It was not believed that Westbrook could really fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis after last year’s disappointing season, but the former MVP has delivered in his bench role with the Lakers and now it looks as if the trade everyone expected to happen, is no longer going down.
Recent reports suggest that the Lakers are now ‘highly unlikely’ to move Westbrook ahead of the trade deadline, and are instead focused on smaller moves to bring the team closer to contention in the Western Conference.
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