Getty Patrick Beverley guarding Russell Westbrook.
Despite Patrick Beverley being maligned by the Los Angeles Lakers fan base for years, the team decided to make a trade for him. That was made even more notable by the fact that Beverley and Russell Westbrook have one of the most high-profile rivalries in the NBA. There’s no reason for the two guards to like each other.
If Westbrook stays with the team this season, the two are going to have to figure out how to get along. Though they’ve hated each other in the past, Beverley has extended an olive branch to former MVP. LeBron James took to Twitter to say that he thinks Westbrook is about to have a major bounce-back season. Beverley saw that tweet and endorsed it by saying “same it’s on.”
This is a good step for Beverley and Westbrook’s relationship but the superstar guard has yet to react to the trade. He might not be as quick to let bygones be bygones.
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Lakers Still Likely to Trade Westbrook
Beverley appears eager to squash his beef with Westbrook but that might not even be necessary. The former MVP has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason and the arrival of Beverley won’t change that. According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Westbrook is still not expected to be a Laker by the start of training camp.
“Beverley’s arrival makes it more likely that Westbrook will be off the active roster by the start of training camp, either through a trade or the team sending him home a la the [Houston] Rockets with John Wall last season, according to a source close to the situation,” Buha wrote.
This is a significant development as there’s been talk of Westbrook starting the season with the team and getting dealt before the deadline. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Lakers pay him $47 million to stay at home for the season. Westbrook’s status with the team continues to be a situation to watch.
ESPN Believes Beverley Is Good Fit on Lakers
Beverley is 34 now and has never been an elite player. He’s a solid defender who can get hot from three. He is what he is and the Lakers think he can help. While he’s not the missing piece that will get the team back into title contention, ESPN believes that he’s a strong fit in Los Angeles:
All told, Beverley is precisely the kind of role player you want surrounding Davis and James, and at a reasonable price ($13 million on a one-year extension signed in Minnesota). Swapping Beverley for Horton-Tucker and Johnson will add modestly to the Lakers’ payroll. Assuming the Lakers fill the open roster spot with a player making the veteran minimum, they’ll increase their team salary by about $2 million and their luxury-tax bill by $7 million. That’s the kind of investment necessary to give their stars a credible supporting cast, particularly in the wake of LeBron’s decision to commit to the Lakers beyond this season with a contract extension struck last week.
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