Getty Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley has broken his silence since getting traded by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Chicago native, who was traded by the Lakers to the Orlando Magic, said on his podcast that the reason the purple and gold didn’t win more games while he was on the team was because of “other sh*t.”
“It wasn’t basketball,” Beverley said. “It wasn’t basketball. It wasn’t basketball. It was other sh*t. But other sh*t that you really can’t like pin or point out. You know, comes and goes. You know, a little bit here, a little bit there. … The vibes were sometimes on, sometimes off. Inconsistent vibes lead to inconsistent play.”
The Lakers sent Beverley to the Magic for Mo Bamba. Beverley put up 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game with the LakeShow while shooting 40.2% from the field, 34.8% from beyond the arc and 78.0% from the free-throw line. He had a plus-minus of -90.
Patrick Beverley & Russell Westbrook to the Bulls?
Beverley and former Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook could be teammates again. K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported on February 13 that the Chicago Bulls‘ interest in Westbrook is “legitimate.” Westbrook is expected to reach a buyout agreement with the Utah Jazz.
Johnson also reported that Beverley’s camp and the Bulls have had conversations.
“The Bulls’ interest in Russell Westbrook should the veteran point guard reach a buyout from the Utah Jazz is legitimate,” Johnson wrote. “In fact, after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski called them ‘a front-runner’ to land Westbrook last week, Chris Haynes from TNT and Bleacher Report said on his ‘#thisleague UNCUT’ podcast with Marc Stein that Donovan has reached out to Westbrook’s camp. Patrick Beverley’s camp and the Bulls also have had conversations, a source said, after the Marshall High product reached agreement on a buyout from the Orlando Magic.”
Beverley has career averages of 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lakers. He was waived by the Magic since Orlando is rebuilding.
Westbrook, who is still on the Jazz, averaged 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 130 games with the Lakers. Los Angeles went 56-74 with the 2016-17 MVP in the lineup. Westbrook wasn’t a good fit next to Anthony Davis and LeBron James since he’s not a reliable shooter. The future Hall of Famer shot only 29.7% from beyond the arc as a member of the purple and gold.
The Lakers Got an A- for Trading Patrick Beverley
The Lakers, who are in 13th place in the Western Conference standings, got an A- from Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale for trading Beverley to the Magic for Bamba.
“Beverley remained expendable even after Rob Pelinka shipped out Russell Westbrook,” Favale wrote. “The Lakers just acquired Malik Beasley and D’Angelo Russell, and both Lonnie Walker IV (when healthy) and Dennis Schröder have been flat-out better. Bamba, meanwhile, is a potentially super-useful, dual-purpose asset. The concept of his rim protection and three-point shooting play nicely in all sorts of lineups. The Lakers can deploy him as the lone big or in tandem with one of Anthony Davis or Jarred Vanderbilt.”