Los Angeles Lakers veteran guard Patrick Beverley reportedly is a “name to watch” on the trade market this season.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers could move Beverley’s $13 million salary in a deal to attempt to improve the roster. Beverley is currently serving a suspension for pushing Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton in a game earlier this season.
“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,” 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 Lakers made a trade with the Utah Jazz this offseason to bring Beverley into the fold. The Lakers sent wing Stanley Johnson and guard Talen Horton-Tucker to Utah in the deal.
While Beverley has certainly given the Lakers a boost on the defensive end, he’s really struggled with his game on offense. With the Lakers struggling to shoot the ball as a whole, Beverley’s lack of production from beyond the arc is certainly a concern going forward.
If Los Angeles feels that it can swap out the veteran guard for a better shooter, it could be something that the team does around the trade deadline this season.
So far in the 2022-23 season, Beverley is averaging just 4.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He’s shot the ball terribly from the field (26.6 percent) and from beyond the arc (23.8 percent).
The Lakers can’t afford to have a non-factor on offense in crucial situations, so unless Beverley figures out how to become a more efficient scorer, the team may not be as willing to give him big workloads.
After a brutal 2-10 start to the 2022-23 season, the Lakers have won five of their last six games to improve to 7-11. They still are on the outside of the play-in tournament picture, but the team’s recent play is a good sign for its chances of making a playoff push this season.
The Lakers have been patient so far in the trade market, but that could change on Dec. 15, as the team would then be able to pitch deals for players who were signed in free agency this past offseason.
If the Lakers feel that they can upgrade the roster by moving on from Beverley, who is in the final year of his contract, general manager Rob Pelinka may be more inclined to do so given the veteran’s struggles, especially if he doesn’t have to trade a draft pick.
