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Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley has landed with a new team.
The veteran is finalizing a deal with the Chicago Bulls, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers traded Beverley to the Orlando Magic for center Mo Bamba. The Magic waived Beverley, allowing the Chicago native to sign with his hometown Bulls.
“Free agent guard Patrick Beverley is finalizing a deal with the Chicago Bulls, his agent, Kevin Bradbury, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday,” ESPN News Services wrote. “The deal is likely to be completed as soon as Tuesday, when the Bulls are expected to waive a player to create a roster spot for Beverley, sources said. The Bulls want Beverley, a Chicago native who attended John Marshall High School, to bring some ferocity to the court and locker room.”
Beverley put up 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game with the Lakers in 45 starts 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 Is Excited to Go Home
Beverley, who has never missed the playoffs in his career, is excited to play for his hometown team. The 34-year-old took to Twitter to express how happy he was about joining the Bulls.
According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls could waive Goran Dragic or Tony Bradley to make room for Beverley, who 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.
“The Bulls will have to release a player to make room for Beverley, and sources said the current focus is on veteran point guard Goran Dragic, whose rotational role has dwindled in recent weeks, or backup center Tony Bradley,” Johnson wrote.
The Bulls are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They face the Lakers on March 26 and March 29.
“I am Chicago. I’m from Chicago. I bleed Chicago. I really think I can help the city. I think I can save the city,” Beverley said in a 2019 interview with Johnson when the NBA reporter was with the Chicago Tribune. “I inspire already. And I’d be a great inspiration just walking around the city of Chicago, knowing I’m from there, knowing that someone made it out and you can go and do the same.”
Patrick Beverley on Why the Lakers Struggled: ‘It Was Other Sh*t’
Beverley said on his podcast that the reason the Lakers didn’t win more games while he was on the roster was because of “other sh*t.” The Arkansas product stated that the vibes weren’t always the best.
“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.”
Beverley, Russell Westbrook, Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson were moved at the trade deadline by the Lakers, who acquired Bamba, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Davon Reed.
