Getty Chicago Bulls point guard Patrick Beverley speaks with head coach Billy Donovan during a game against the LA Lakers.
Of the multiple areas the Chicago Bulls‘ front office needs to address this summer in order to give the team a better shot to compete in 2023-24, the point guard situation is probably line item No. 1. With Lonzo Ball‘s future still up in the air, the team needs to have another floor general waiting in the wings.
Down the stretch of 2022-23, veteran Patrick Beverley acted as Ball’s stand-in, and there’s no denying that the Bulls had a better energy about them after he was acquired. Keeping the lockdown ace in the Windy City may be tough, though.
While discussing his upcoming free agency on the April 18 episode of his podcast, Beverley made it clear that he’s looking to get paid this summer. He even put a number out there, declaring, “I made 13 [million dollars], but the money does go up, so my 13 this year would become 15 next year.”
For his part, though, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz doesn’t see the 34-year-old getting the payday he wants; from the Bulls or otherwise.
B/R: Bulls’ Patrick Beverley Unlikely to Get the Deal He Wants in Free Agency
In a buy-or-sell feature on the latest NBA trade and offseason buzz, Swartz put a hard sell on the notion that Beverley — who averaged 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 39.5% from the floor and 30.9% from deep as a Bull — will be getting a deal in the $13-15 million range.
“Look for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception at most,” he wrote.
As the hardwood analyst sees it, Pat Bev’s advancing age — and the decline that comes along with it — should probably preclude him from cashing in:
For the first time in eight seasons, Beverley registered a negative swing rating. The Los Angeles Lakers were 2.0 points per 100 possessions worse with Beverley on the floor compared to when he was on the bench, and the Bulls were 8.0 per 100 worse.
Beverley is still a solid defensive option at the point of attack, but he’s losing some of his speed and athleticism. While a contender might offer him the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.2 million, per Shams Charania of The Athletic), that seems like a reach for a player of his age and declining skill set.
Zach LaVine Credits Pat Bev for Bulls’ Turnaround
Count Bulls star Zach LaVine among those who took note of the Beverley effect, which saw Chicago compile a 14-9 record after inking the baller. As he sees it, Pat Bev helped the team recover some of what it had lost amid Ball’s knee issues.
“You saw how good we were in the beginning of the season last year and how easy it was for us [when Ball was healthy]. And then obviously with him going down and us trying to scramble. It makes everybody play a different role than we were supposed to,” Lavine said, via Bulls.com’s Sam Smith.
“And then coming into this year, not really having that 100% point guard. I think everybody stepped up in a certain way. It was tough for us to have a setback like that. You saw how much better we were after All-Star break when everyone had their solidified roles. Pat came in to play, a veteran point guard, an elite guard that’s been in big games and big situations. And we thrived.”