Veteran guard Patrick Beverley has engaged in contract buyout discussions with the Orlando Magic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
The writing was on the wall for Beverley as soon as the trade between the Magic and Los Angeles Lakers went down but now it's being confirmed. Beverley, an 11-year NBA veteran, is now 34 years old.
With the Magic in full-on rebuild mode, it only made sense for Beverley to reach a buyout agreement with Orlando and sign with a new team ahead of the playoffs.
Having signed a 1-year, $13 million contract extension with the Lakers last February, Beverley may have to give up a significant chunk of change to sign with a new team.
However, playoff teams such as the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers are currently on the lookout for a new guard, so Beverley may not be off of the market for long.
Not only will he possibly recoup a bit of his forfeited salary while playing on a good team, but he could also land with two squads known for their emphasis on defense. Especially if the Clippers, whom he played with from 2017-18 to 2020-21, are open to a reunion.
Beverley is averaging 6.4 points, 2.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 26.9 minutes per game this season, but his impact extends far beyond the box score.
That said, for Beverley to truly maximize his impact he needs to rediscover his shooting stroke. After shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point range for the first nine seasons of his career, Beverley has shot just 34.5 percent from deep over the past two seasons.
Follow Us
Subscribe