The Boston Celtics just lost a defense-first point guard in Marcus Smart, but they're reportedly on the hunt for another one in free agency.
Chicago Bulls guard Patrick Beverley is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the C's have some interest in the 34-year-old.
“Amid interest to return to Chicago and other contenders, Patrick Beverley has another potential suitor in Boston,” Fischer wrote.
While Bev isn't as much of an offensive threat as Smart, he still does a lot of the same things. He's gritty, will guard fiercely, and isn't afraid to agitate the opposing team. Plus, Boston could probably get him for a low price due to his veteran status.
Although the 2017 All-Defensive First-Teamer fits into the Celtics' culture, he could be enticed by a return to The Windy City. In the past week, Beverley talked about “running it back” with the Bulls on Twitter:
Team is solid. #RunItBack https://t.co/F3Tqz0IgXS
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) June 21, 2023




On Thursday morning he also sent out another tweet that would suggest he's planning to re-sign with Chicago and stay put:
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) June 29, 2023
Twitter talks aside, the former Arkansas standout has the intensity and fire that only a few players in the league can match. He could provide some solid defensive minutes off the bench and perhaps act as a de facto assistant alongside Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla (it's worth noting that Mazzulla is less than a month older than Beverley).
He probably can't replace Smart, but he could add another veteran voice to the team. Regardless of whether he's in Chicago or Boston, it doesn't seem like we've heard the last of Pat Bev.