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Video: Patrick Beverley Talks Possibly Joining Lakers, Importance of Money in FA
June 18, 2019
Veteran guard Patrick Beverley acknowledged Tuesday that money will be play the biggest role in where he signs as a free agent this offseason.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Beverley said that his focus is on "securing my family's future."
When asked specifically about the possibility of signing with the Los Angeles Lakers after spending the past two seasons with the L.A. Clippers, Beverley said, "You've got Anthony Davis, LeBron James. They made themselves a very, very exciting team."
The 30-year-old veteran is coming off a solid season for the Clips that saw him average 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Beverley started 49 of the 78 games he appeared in last season and served as a defensive complement to rookie point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Clips made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference last season and faced the Golden State Warriors in the first round. Beverley notably got under Kevin Durant's skin during the series due to his aggressiveness, and the Clippers managed to push Golden State to six games.
Beverley played out a four-year, $23 million contract, and he stands to make even more on an annual basis due to his value on the defensive end and the continued growth of NBA contracts.
Re-signing with the Clippers and continuing to work in tandem with Gilgeous-Alexander is a strong possibility, but remaining in L.A. and signing with the Lakers instead may give Beverley an even better chance to vie for a championship.
With Davis joining James and Kyle Kuzma after a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers are poised to contend in the Western Conference next season. The biggest key for the Lakers now is to add depth around their core players.
L.A. has a hole at point guard with Lonzo Ball getting traded to New Orleans and Rajon Rondo hitting free agency, so signing Beverley would allow the Lakers to fill an area of need.