Windhorst: Lakers Likely to Look for Patrick Beverley Upgrade at NBA Trade Deadline

Patrick Beverley's time with the Los Angeles Lakers may not last much longer.

"They now are kind of loaded up at the big men positions, so I think they are going to continue to be active looking for guards," ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Thursday. "Basically looking to upgrade their guards and seeing if they can upgrade from Patrick Beverley especially."

Windhorst went on to say he feels that, as of Jan 26, it is "more likely" the Lakers will trade Beverley in a smaller deal instead of completing a blockbuster trade that sends Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks out for a marquee player.

Los Angeles already fortified its frontcourt with the acquisition of Rui Hachimura, and Anthony Davis returned from injury for Wednesday's win over the San Antonio Spurs. Thomas Bryant has also played well at times this season, and LeBron James is an all-time great.

That is a frontcourt that could compete with the league's best teams come playoff time, but the backcourt leaves something to be desired even with Westbrook settling into a more effective role anchoring the second unit off the bench.

Dennis Schröder, Beverley and Max Christie are better suited as role players for contenders than key components, and the backcourt depth took something of a hit when Kendrick Nunn was sent to the Washington Wizards in the Hachimura deal.

Beverley is someone who could be appealing to teams looking toward the future because of his expiring contract, which would allow them to create additional cap space for the upcoming offseason by trading someone to the Lakers for him and then seeing his deal come off the books.

The Arkansas product has played well at times for the Purple and Gold, including in Wednesday's win when he scored 18 points and tallied two steals. He is best known for his defensive intensity and willingness to mix it up with even the league's best players, and there is certainly room for someone like that on a playoff team.

But the Lakers aren't in the playoff picture at 23-26 and will likely need to make notable improvements and stay healthy if they are going to accomplish their goals down the stretch.

A Beverley trade could be one way to bring about those improvements.