When the Los Angeles Lakers traded Stanley Johnson and Talen Horton-Tucker for veteran guard Patrick Beverley, it was assumed Beverley would bring leadership, defense and accurate 3-point shooting.
While he has provided the first two, his 3-point shooting has been abysmal so far this season. He is hitting just 23.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc and just 26.6% of his overall attempts, despite being a career 37.5% 3-point shooter.
The Lakers will almost certainly try to make a trade in order to get to the next level, and one reporter has suggested that Beverley’s sizable contract could be used as salary ballast to bring back a more useful player.
Via The Athletic:
“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,” Jovan Buha wrote. “One name to watch is Patrick Beverley, who’s the fourth-highest-paid player on the team at $13 million. Beverley is a 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.”
The glut of guards Buha mentioned includes Dennis Schroder, a veteran point guard L.A. brought back this summer. Schroder had previously played for the team during the 2020-21 season.
Like Beverley, Schroder can pressure opposing ball-handlers in an intense way, but unlike Beverley, he is an adept scorer and facilitator who can also handle the ball and create extra transition opportunities.
If the Lakers opt to keep Russell Westbrook for the rest of the season, perhaps a package centered around Beverley and Nunn would bring back the productive backup 3-and-D power forward they need to become a contender.
Beverley’s contract expires at the end of this season, which means he could provide salary cap relief for the team that trades for him.
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