3. The Washington Wizards will regret letting Beverley sign with the Bulls
The Chicago Bulls signed Patrick Beverley to help them push for a spot in the Play-in Tournament. Lonzo Ball is officially out for the season now, and the Bulls will plug Beverley in as a defensive stopper and energy piece off the bench as they look to come out on top of a crowded field at the bottom of the Eastern Conference postseason mix.
One of the teams the Bulls are jockeying with is the Washington Wizards, and the Wizards might ultimately come to regret not pushing their way into the mix to sign Beverley. With the waiving of Will Barton the Wizards have even more of a need in the backcourt for someone who can complement Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma on the perimeter; their options behind Monte Morris are shooting-challenged players like Delon Wright and Kendrick Nunn.
Beverley could have stepped in and given them an edge on defense they aren’t getting otherwise and played complementary basketball on offense with their on-ball stars. He also might have a role on the Wizards next season as well. Instead of signing Beverley, the Wizards will be hoping their current group can outpace the Bulls, Hawks, Raptors and Pacers. Signing Beverley would have hurt the Bulls and boosted their chances.
Will Patrick Beverley make a huge difference for the Bulls? Perhaps not, but he is the kind of player teams should want to sign off the buyout market, role players who add value on both ends of the court without demanding the ball. The Clippers, Warriors and Wizards may very well regret letting Beverley sign in Chicago.