Getty Patrick Beverley #12 of the Miami Heat drives the ball around Willie Green #33 of the New Orleans Hornets
Earlier this summer, it was reported that then-Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley had an interest in joining the Miami Heat. After his team was eliminated from the playoffs, Beverley appeared on a few episodes of ESPN’s First Take and on an episode hinted at the possibility of going to South Beach and teaming up with Jimmy Butler. He wasn’t expected to stay in Minnesota for another season despite a strong showing in the playoffs for them. He ended up being traded to the Utah Jazz in the giant Rudy Gobert deal before winding up on the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Beverley to Miami didn’t pan out this offseason, it would have been a reunion between the two. After being drafted with the 42nd overall pick in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Lakers, the Heat acquired the draft rights to Beverley in 2010. He played in the training camp of the first big three era team with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh shortly after all joined together in South Beach.
Patrick Beverley on Being Cut by the Heat
Beverley didn’t end up making the Heat but recently spoke on an episode of his own ‘The Pat Bev Podcast‘ about his experience going from playing in Ukraine to the big three era Heat team at 21 years old.
“It wasn’t even like that. It was like Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo. So I was licking my chops,” Beverley said. “I was like, ‘man, I got a chance to like, play play.’ Like Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers at that time, and you’re talking 21-year-old Pat? That was my mindset. I had a great training camp. You know me, I’m picking up people full court, you know, I’m throwing alley-oops to LeBron. I’m real good in transition. I had a hell of a training camp. I think Mike Miller gets hurt, and I’m the lowest man on the totem pole contract-wise, and they bring in Jerry Stackhouse that year and they cut me. I mean if Mike Miller’s don’t get hurt, I’m playing in the championship against Dallas. Maybe I lock up Jason Terry. Maybe he doesn’t go off that series. Maybe we win a few more championships.”
Beverley’s competition in camp at point guard was older vets like Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers, both of who were deeper into their careers than the 21-year-old Beverley. Beverley describes his thoughts going into the season was that he would earn his spot at point guard and be able to make an impact with this exciting Heat team. However, after an injury to Mike Miller, that plan was derailed, and the Heat found another forward in Jerry Stackhouse to fill his role, and because Beverley had the cheapest contract, he was the one cut in place of him.
What If: Beverley in Miami
Patrick Beverley went back to playing overseas after being cut by the Heat before finding a home with the Houston Rockets. However, the guard is still holding on to what ifs about whether or not he were to make that Heat team. He even thinks he could have had a shot at shutting down Jason Terry in the Heat’s finals series they wound up losing to the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a giant what-if. It’s hard not to see Beverley finding a role in Heat Culture if he were to stay, but it never happened, and now Beverley is set to be on this year’s Lakers squad instead of the Heat after the rumors he started.