Getty Patrick Beverley #21 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after pushing Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns to the ground, alongside Anthony Davis #3 and Austin Reaves #15
Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley went off on Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton on the November 29 episode of his podcast.
Beverley, who was suspended for three games for shoving Ayton on November 22, said he had no regrets for pushing Ayton after the Suns star stood over Austin Reaves following a foul call.
“F–k that. F–k him,” Beverley said. “We not going for that s–t. Ask people who’s played with me. Ask superstars that played with me. There’s a reason guys want me on their team after they heard about the trade this summer.”
“It’s the reason guys want me on their team.”
@patbev21 protects his guys. He’s not gonna apologize for it and he’d do it again. Free Pat Bev. @PatBevPod
Beverley lost $268,966 during his three-game suspension. The Chicago native is in the final year of his $13 million contract.
The Lakers acquired Beverley in August from the Utah Jazz. The 34-year-old is averaging 4.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season while shooting 26.6% from the field, 23.8% from beyond the arc and 82.4% from the free-throw line.
Beverley will make his return to the court on November 30 when the Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers. Los Angeles is 7-12 on the season, while Portland is 11-10. The Lakers will have a rest advantage since the Blazers played on November 29, losing to the Los Angeles Clippers at home. The purple and gold also won’t have to deal with superstar point guard Damian Lillard, who is out with a calf strain.
Lakers Could Trade Beverley in December
Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported on November 28 that Beverley is a “name to watch” on the trade market. The defensive ace hasn’t played well on offense for the Lakers.
“The other benefit of waiting until at least Dec. 15 to make a move is that the Lakers can trade players they signed in free agency. One name to watch is Patrick Beverley, who’s the fourth-highest-paid player on the team at $13 million,” Buha wrote. “Beverley is still an elite defender and one of the group’s vocal leaders, but he’s averaging a career-low 4.1 points per game and shooting a career-worst 23.8 percent on 3s. Beverley, like Kendrick Nunn, could still have value on teams looking for veteran backcourt help. The Lakers’ needs and glut of guards make both expendable.”
December 15 is the first day that free agents who were signed in the offseason can be traded. It’s also the day the Lakers, who have the third-worst record in the Western Conference, are targeting to begin exploring roster upgrades via trades, according to Buha.
“The Lakers are evaluating the roster to determine if they’d prefer to make a smaller move or a bigger one to address the roster’s need for better perimeter shooting and size, team sources tell The Athletic,” Buha wrote. “That includes deciding if they want to include one or both of their tradeable future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 in any deal. The Lakers remain reluctant to give up both unless there’s a trade – or trades if they split the picks up in separate deals – they believe will elevate them to contender status.”
Western Conference Executive Pitches Beverley Trade
Heavy.com senior insider Sean Deveney spoke to a Western Conference executive who pitched a Beverley trade idea involving the Toronto Raptors. The Lakers would land Gary Trent Jr. from the Raptors in exchange for Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV.
“Everything depends on what they do with the two first-rounders (2027 and 2029), and they’re not going to pull a trigger until January, most likely,” the executive said. “They could move (Patrick) Beverley. Lonnie Walker has played himself into having some value and they may want to keep him or they could flip him with someone like (Kendrick) Nunn, get something back that way. Most teams would probably buy out Pat Bev if he got traded. But if you are at a point where you know it is going to cost you two picks to move (Russell) Westbrook, you could do something like Beverley and Walker and the 2029 pick for, say Gary Trent in Toronto, who is 23 but probably does not fit in (the Raptors’) plans long-term.”
Beverley has a plus-minus of -5 this season. He hasn’t scored in double-figures once.