It seems point guard Patrick Beverley is a free agent no more, as it has been announced by his agent Kevin Bradbury that the player is finalizing the last terms of his negotiation with the Chicago Bulls, after he completed his buyout from Orlando last week.
Both the team and the athlete expect to make the arrangement public this Tuesday, as the Bulls first need to waive a player to make way for Beverley, a Chicago native who studied at John Marshall High School as a teenager. Reports suggest that the decision was between playing for Golden State, or returning to his hometown.
The team is reported to desire the player’s fierce attitude in their locker room, and bring some extra energy to the club. Although sometimes Beverley’s personality can be provocative bordering the line of controversial, if it comes with the correct motivation, it could be rather inspiring.
BREAKING: Patrick Beverley is signing with the Chicago Bulls @PatBevPod @patbev21 pic.twitter.com/YmjErUL5gv
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 20, 2023
The Bulls currently stand in the 11th place of the Eastern Conference standing with a 26-33 record before this All-Star break.
A few of our recommended sport betting sites consider Chicago to possess the 20th best odds (+30,000) in the league to win this NBA title, but first they need to qualify for playoffs, as they are only two games back of the Toronto Raptors for a spot in the next round.
Throughout this 2022/23 season, the point guard averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 45 starts for the Los Angeles Lakers, before he was traded to Orlando right as the past trade deadline was coming to an end. The Magic decided to waive Beverley three days later after reaching a buyout agreement to become a free agent.
Beverley says the problem with the Lakers “wasn’t basketball”
As the NBA veteran was exchanged for center Mo Bamba, before the player struggled to find the best formula on court in Los Angeles with Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Not too long ago, he appeared on his personal podcast and discussed the Laker’s underlying problems.
“It wasn’t basketball,” Beverley said in the last full episode of “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone” on February the 14th.
“It wasn’t basketball. It wasn’t basketball,” he repeated. “It was other s–t. But other s–t that you really can’t like pin or point out. You know, comes and goes. You know, a little bit here, a little bit there.”
Watch the entire interview for yourself on their YouTube channel:
Right before the All-Star break, the Los Angeles side beat the New Orleans Pelicans but they are still standing in the 13th spot in the Western Conference with a 27-32 record. Even though James and Davis are finally healthy and playing together, Beverley insists that the squad’s issues come from beyond the court.
One of those issues could’ve been Russel Westbrook, who was waived in the transfer window and finally decided to team up again with Paul George in the Clippers roster, LA’s city rivals. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin once said the Westbrook was like a “vampire” in the locker room.
Beverley defended his former teammate on the same podcast program. “You see how Russ is every game day, the first person in the locker room. Every single game,” he said. “And I’m on the first bus. LeBron on the first bus too. There are some vets in the league that only take the third bus.”
