The NBA world was rocked a week and a half ago when the Utah Jazz sent three time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade. As part of the package for Gobert, Minnesota traded away one of their more recent acquisitions, veteran point guard and defensive specialist Patrick Beverley. In the aftermath of the Gobert trade, two of the league’s top teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, are rumored to be interested in acquiring Beverley.
“Patrick Beverley also appears to be a strong trade candidate,” Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported. “The former Timberwolves point guard has drawn interest from the Lakers and Heat, sources told B/R. Philadelphia had been mentioned as a potential Beverley suitor, with his past Houston experience and the Sixers’ obvious deep Rockets connections, but it seems unlikely that Beverley would now be Philadelphia-bound after the team acquired De’Anthony Melton on draft night.”
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Both the Lakers and the Heat make enticing landing spots for a player like Beverley. The Lakers struggled defensively last season in the absence of Anthony Davis. An experienced and relentless defender like Beverley could be the last piece LeBron needs to win his fifth championship.
The Heat are looking to replace one of their key role players in PJ Tucker, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in June. Beverley could easily fill the defensive void left by Tucker, and Beverley’s style of play would compliment well with Miami’s star forward Jimmy Butler.
Beverley is coming off a solid outing with yet another new team in the journeyman’s career. He helped lead a young and inexperienced Timberwolves team to their first playoff berth since 2017 before they lost a contested series to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Regardless of where Beverley lands, his aggressive playstyle will benefit any team he plays for.