NBA veteran journeyman Patrick Beverley is beginning his next professional chapter overseas after choosing to sign with Israeli squad Hapoel Tel Aviv. Beverley will join a stacked roster since Hapoel Tel Aviv recently signed former Phoenix Suns forward Ish Wainright and former Los Angeles Clippers big man Johnathan Motley.
However, before Beverley chose to play in Israel, he had NBA offers from the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets that ultimately didn't deter him from staying stateside.
āPatrick Beverley received interest from Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets (veteran's minimum) over the last few days, but he preferred Hapoel Tel Aviv because of the challenge to win both Israel League and Eurocup, according to @SportalgrG source. #HapoelTelAviv #NBA,ā said Christos Tsaltas on X.
āPatrick Beverley met with Hapoel Tel Aviv's owner in Las Vegas, according to @SportalgrG source. He get everything he asked for and he accepted Hapoel's offer for 2 years (1+1). He wanted to be impactful in a winning team and that was a big reason behind his decision. #Eurocupā
Despite being a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009, Beverley began his pro career overseas following his college days at Arkansas. So, playing in Israel for Hapoel Tel Aviv isn't the first time the guard has played overseas. However, it is the first time he hasn't played in the NBA since 2013, when he signed a multi-year deal with the Houston Rockets, so some change will still be involved.
What made Patrick Beverley want to leave the NBA?
Beverley has played for five franchises since the start of the 2021-22 season and has not signed a multiyear deal since 2019. With that in mind, when Beverley, who turned 36 this week, posted on his X that he was weighing whether to sign a veteran minimum NBA contract or take a deal overseas, it made sense why he was considering every option.
āThey gave me everything I asked for,ā Beverley said. āI couldn't refuse.ā
Beverley began the 2023-24 season playing for the Philadelphia 76ers before the franchise traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in February. There, he played a role in the team's playoff run following the loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard to injury. He averaged a combined 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 41.7 percent shooting from the field. The season before, Beverley spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.
If he doesn't return to the NBA, he will finish his career with 666 regular-season games, averaging 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 26.6 minutes. However, it doesn't paint the full picture, even if he didn't put up the flashiest stats. Even in his mid-30s, Beverley was one of the most dogged point-of-attack defenders in the league and a helpful connector on the other end. Even as a point guard, Beverley could always credibly initiate the offense but never needed the ball, which made him a good fit with ball-dominant stars.
However, if he does return, he will have to serve a four-game suspension for throwing the ball at Indiana Pacers fans multiple times in Game 6 of Milwaukee's first-round series loss.
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