The Chicago Bulls joined the recent wave of buyout market signings this week, agreeing to a contract with Patrick Beverley. The 10-year veteran guard started the year with the Los Angeles Lakers, appearing in 45 games before he was traded to the Orlando Magic in the Mo Bamba deal. The Magic bought him out and that allowed him to sign with the Bulls.
This has been the most active post-deadline buyout market in recent memory, but even in the midst of that hyperactivity there are likely to be multiple teams left standing when the music stops; there are just not enough valuable veterans available for all of the teams that have needs.
Which NBA teams will regret not being the one to sign Patrick Beverley? Let’s look at three such teams that will wish they had wooed the tenacious guard to their franchise.
1. The LA Clippers will regret letting Beverley sign with the Bulls
The LA Clippers have had a lackluster offense this season, ranking 20th in offensive rating. A large part of that mediocrity has been the frequent absences of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, but it has also been a result of shaky shooting and a lack of penetration into the paint.
The Clippers decided their best path to addressing their offensive issues was to sign Russell Westbrook, a move almost certain to blow up in their faces. Westbrook may give them a boost to their rim pressure, but he is going to hamstring both their shooting and their defense.
Patrick Beverley, on the other hand, fits much better with Leonard and George — he already had, in fact, when playing two seasons with them in LA before he was traded away. He is more dangerous from beyond the arc (he shot 39.5 percent in four seasons with the Clippers) and can help maintain their defensive excellence. The path to the Clippers winning involves the ball being in the hands of their stars, not a buyout market guard, so they will regret choosing Westbrook over Beverley come the playoffs.