The Lakers are set to amass veteran guard — and frequent nemesis — Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, sources with data of the deal advised The Instances on Wednesday evening.
It’s the primary huge transfer for the staff since signing LeBron James to a two-year extension final week.
Beverley, 34, performed in 58 video games final season with the Minnesota Timberwolves after spending 4 years as an emotional chief for the Clippers. He averaged 9.2 factors, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds for the Timberwolves, although his three-point taking pictures dipped to 34.3% — the bottom of his 10-year NBA profession.
Considered one of many NBA’s nice irritants for his defensive depth and angle, Beverley joins a backcourt that at present options former rival Russell Westbrook together with Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves.
Beverley has had some sturdiness issues, enjoying greater than 60 video games solely as soon as prior to now 5 seasons. He was traded to Utah by Minnesota as a part of the Rudy Gobert blockbuster deal earlier this summer season and had been anticipated to land with one other staff since.
Beverley was initially picked with the Lakers’ second-round decide in 2009, although they traded the choice for a future second-rounder and money on draft evening.
With the Clippers, Beverley helped bridge the interval between Chris Paul (he was acquired when Paul was dealt to Houston) and Blake Griffin and the present Paul George-Kawhi Leonard iteration. Throughout that interval, Beverley embodied the Clippers’ toughness and fearlessness, serving to them stay a playoff contender.
As just lately as final season, he clashed with the Lakers and Westbrook, forcing the Lakers guard right into a turnover earlier than holding his nostril and yelling “he’s trash” on the subsequent stoppage of play. Within the 2013 playoffs, Beverley went to steal the ball whereas Westbrook was stopping to name timeout, injuring Westbrook’s knee within the course of. The 2 at the moment are teammates.
The Lakers additionally picked Horton-Tucker within the second spherical — this time within the 2019 NBA draft, and after solely six video games throughout a COVID-impacted rookie season, he grew to become a member of the staff’s rotation in his second season.
Horton-Tucker, 21, averaged 10 factors , 3.2 rebounds and a pair of.7 assists final season, although he by no means developed into the well-rounded offensive and defensive participant coach Frank Vogel had hoped.
Horton-Tucker made 26.9% from three-point vary final season — the bottom proportion for a participant with no less than three makes an attempt per sport.
“I really feel like each state of affairs that I’ve been in is sort of like a studying expertise, and being on the ball, off the ball is simply an expertise that you just want,” Horton-Tucker stated after the season. “Clearly I felt higher with the ball in my palms, and I felt I had success with that, however studying to play with the celebs is an important factor they wished me to do coming in, in order that’s it.”
With Horton-Tucker traded, solely LeBron James and Anthony Davis are left from the staff that gained the 2020 NBA championship.
Johnson, a former prep star at Santa Ana Mater Dei Excessive, performed in 48 video games final season after becoming a member of the staff throughout a COVID outbreak and performed his approach into common minutes. He began 27 video games and averaged 6.7 factors.
Following the transfer, the Lakers have two open roster spots with the power to create a 3rd by waiving Wenyen Gabriel, who has a non-guaranteed contract.
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