The Los Angeles Lakers executed a number of deals prior to the trade deadline earlier this month, and one of them sent veteran guard Patrick Beverley packing.
Beverley had been acquired by the Lakers in the 2022 NBA offseason, so his tenure with the team was short-lived. In a somewhat surprising move, the veteran guard recently implied that he had requested a trade from the Lakers before they moved him to the Orlando Magic.
Pat Bev implies that he requested a trade from the Lakers 🤨
(Via @PatBevPod ) pic.twitter.com/2lL1Uhq1rL
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) February 28, 2023
“What really really went down in L.A. … To some people, it can be that Pat Bev got traded, when in all reality it was like I didn’t like what was going on,” he said. “Let’s find a better home for me. Not so that, ‘Ok he ain’t good enough, let’s get rid of him.’ All that shit was my decision. … I’m making a decision that was my decision. You know, they honor my request.”
Beverley is known for making somewhat outlandish claims, and this seems like it could definitely be another one of those statements. In the comments section of the video, one fan was quick to point out that just one day before he was traded, Beverley welcomed D’Angelo Russell — one of the Lakers’ trade deadline acquisitions — to the team.
— j (@ogcxrdoso) February 28, 2023
Beverley’s tweet to Russell certainly doesn’t indicate that he was vying for a trade out of L.A.
At the end of the day, no matter the truth behind Beverley’s statement, the fact is that his time with the Lakers did not work out. He started the season off shooting the ball incredibly poorly, and while he improved over time, he just didn’t seem like the kind of player that the Lakers needed.
In 45 games with the team (all starts), Beverley averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 boards and 2.6 assists per game. He shot 40.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from 3-point land during that stretch.
He did provide the kind of hard-nosed defense that he has built his NBA career around, but L.A. definitely needed more out of him.
Now, Beverley is a member of the Chicago Bulls. He signed with the team after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Magic. Beverley is an Illinois native, so it’s been a nice homecoming for the veteran.
Interestingly, Beverley recently stated that he spoke with Lakers star LeBron James about what it’s like to play for one’s hometown team. Of course, James played for his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, for years.
Clearly, James and Beverley are in good standing, so that begs the question of what the issue was for Beverley in L.A. Chances are good that fans will never know.
