The Los Angeles Lakers acquired a defensive menace in Patrick Beverley — and a player who doesn’t hold his tongue, both on and off the court.
L.A. paid quite a price to trade for Beverley, sending Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz in exchange for the 34-year-old guard. But by doing so, the Lakers again have a defensive specialist on the roster, making up for Alex Caruso’s departure during the 2021 offseason.
Beverley agitates NBA stars with both physical play and mind tricks, making a name for himself as one of the league’s leading trash-talkers throughout the years. And the pugnacious guard will soon have another platform to speak his mind bluntly, agreeing to collaborate with Barstool Sports on a new podcast this fall:
We now own what will be the most entertaining NBA Podcast in America. Welcome @patbev21 @rone pic.twitter.com/2onwNvUBuI
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 26, 2022
Earlier this year, Beverley made the headlines when he appeared on ESPN during the 2022 NBA Playoffs and tore into Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul.
After Phoenix’s Western Conference Semifinal loss to the Dallas Mavericks, he questioned Paul’s defense and compared the 12-time All-Star to an orange cone before claiming that no one in the league was afraid of the Suns.
The remarks were just a sample of Beverley’s bellicose nature that has led to numerous altercations and arguments with various NBA stars — with perhaps the loudest being his feud with Russell Westbrook, who is still part of the Lakers roster.
Beverley trade makes it ‘more likely’ Westbrook won’t play for Lakers again
Westbrook and Beverley have clashed for years, with the two trading jabs as recently as during the 2021-22 season. Hence, the latter’s move to the Lakers only fueled speculations over a potential trade of the 2017 NBA MVP this summer.
And recent reports confirm Beverley’s arrival seems to indicate that Westbrook’s days with the Purple and Gold are numbered — with the possibility of the Lakers keeping the 33-year-old away from the team even if they fail to part ways with him ahead of the 2022-23 season’s tip.
