3. Patrick Beverley
Let me preface this by saying I wouldn’t mind seeing Patrick Beverley back on this team next year. Much like Green, he has a mental edge that so many members of this current roster lack. The more players who are willing to put it all on the line every night, the better.
However, Beverley’s mental boost can only take this team so far. It’s no coincidence that he was played off the court in favor of more talented players in the play-in tournament. When push comes to shove, the Bulls need a genuine playmaker and three-point threat out there at point guard, not a glorified assistant coach.
That much was made obvious in the latter half of the season, as Coby White steadily improved and began to look like the player we all hoped he could become when he was selected seventh overall in 2019. Considering White has starting point guard aspirations, the odds that Beverley is brought back to play the starting point position have dropped dramatically.
Coby White is going to be a restricted free agent this offseason. He said that he would like to be back with the Chicago Bulls but knows it's a business at the end of the day. "I love Chicago."
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) April 16, 2023
Coby said that he wants to be a starting point guard in the NBA.
(Via @chicagobulls)
Although Patrick Beverley made a big impact on the Chicago Bulls this season, he’s far from a sure thing to be brought back next season.
Of course, Beverley could always re-sign to play his more natural role off the bench. This way, he’d still be able to offer a boost in the Bulls’ locker room with his leadership without negatively impacting the team on the court.
However, it’s important to remember that’s the same role Los Angeles had hoped Beverley would be able to play for the Lakers, yet they decided to cut him midseason nonetheless. It’s not like the Bulls are deprived of talent in the backcourt either, as Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu (if he re-signs with Chicago) would happily step up to fill the void left by Beverley.
The Bulls simply don’t have an excess of money or minutes to offer Pat. That begs the question, what incentive does he have to return? As much as he enjoyed playing the temporary hero for his home city, it might make more sense for the journeyman veteran to join a cap-strapped contender like the Suns or a surging young roster in need of veteran leadership like the Grizzlies next season.