The Lakers are finalizing a deal to acquire veteran guard Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report on Wednesday night.
The deal is expected to be completed Thursday morning, according to multiple reports.
Beverley, 34, is a 10-year NBA veteran who has played for the Clippers, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz acquired him as part of the trade that sent center Rudy Gobert to Minnesota earlier this summer. Known for his feisty defense and vocal presence on the court, Beverley averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 25.4 minutes per game for the Timberwolves last season. Beverley, who started 54 of the 58 games he played in, shot 40.6% overall and a career-worst 34.3% from the 3-point range.
Beverley, who was drafted by the Lakers in 2009 before his rights were traded to the Miami Heat, has career averages of 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds ands 3.5 assists and career shooting percentages of 41.4% from the field and 37.8% from behind the arc.
Beverley, who spent 2017-21 with the Clippers, should provide a boost to a Laker defense that ranked 21st in the league last season and was particularly weak on the perimeter. According to ESPN’s Stats & Information, over the past five seasons, the perennial pest has held opponents to 41.9% shooting as the closest defender, the second-best mark among players defending at least 2,000 shots. Lakers big man Anthony Davis (42.3%) is fourth on that list.
Horton-Tucker, 21, spent his first three NBA seasons with the Lakers, who drafted him out of Iowa State in the second round (No. 46 overall) in 2019. He appeared in 60 games last year, averaging 10 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 25.2 minutes per game. He shot 41.6% overall and 26.9% from 3-point range.
Johnson is a 26-year-old power forward who spent time with the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans before joining the Lakers on a 10-day contract last season and becoming a rotational piece. He averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 46.6% from the field and 31.4% from behind the arc in 22.8 minutes per game. He played 48 games (27 starts) with the Lakers.
The Lakers might not be done retooling their roster, as they are widely believed to be trying to trade former league MVP Russell Westbrook, though the $47 million remaining on the final year of his contract makes him more difficult to move.
Beverley signed a one-year, $13 million extension last season. Combined with the departure of Horton-Tucker, that means only All-Stars LeBron James ($46.7 million) and Davis ($40.6 million) are currently on the Lakers’ payroll for the 2023-24 season, creating significant salary cap space for the front office to reshape the roster around them.
Patrick Beverley will look to add to a Lakers team that struggled on defense last season, ranking 21st in defensive efficiency.
Over the last 5 seasons, Beverley has allowed the 2nd-lowest FG pct as the closest defender among players with 2,000 shots defended over that span. https://t.co/b2C07eBQh0 pic.twitter.com/SqOnnVZ2xj
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 25, 2022
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