Report: Bulls adding defensive standout Patrick Beverley |
After being one of two teams not to make a move at the trade deadline and now the only one not to, things have been a struggle for the Chicago Bulls. They are riding a six-game winning streak and have gone 0-5 since the deadline, which has the organization facing some difficult decisions.
Although it has yet to be announced, Lonzo Ball is not walking through that door anytime soon, so the Bulls still need to address the PG position. Russell Westbrook was the Bulls top choice, but after he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Bulls had to go with a plan B. That plan included meeting with John Wall and Patrick Beverley as they would like to add one of the two, if not both. While Wall is still left un-signed, the Bulls can finally check their names off the list of teams that did something at the deadline, as they have acquired Beverley via the buyout market for the remainder of the season. I get that Beverley doesn't address this team's glaring weakness, but he is a veteran and brings a toughness that this team has yet to have much of this season. The deal may not be official yet, but all signs point to it being official as early as Tuesday. That would require the Bulls to make a roster move which appears to be Ball being shut down for the rest of the season. If there is still confidence in Ball returning at some point, you could also see the seldom-used Tony Bradley Jr or the struggling veteran Goran Dragic finding their way off the roster for the Bulls final 23 games of the season. Now 34 years old, Beverley is the definition of a veteran, as he has been in the league since 2008. The former University of Arkansas Product, Beverley began his career overseas before bouncing around the league on several organizations. His NBA career began with the Houston Rockets in 2013, where he played until 2017. The following offseason saw Beverley land with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he stayed with them until 2021 before moving to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After just one season, Beverley was on the move again, landing with the Lakers this season before being bought out and will now be a part of the Bulls organization the rest of the way. Beverley has not been much of a scorer over his career, as he has been more of a bench player who thrives in his role. He has averaged 8.7 PPG, including 6.4 PPG this season. Beverley also adds four rebounds and three assists per contest while playing great defense. His best season came in his first season with the Clippers, where he averaged a career-high 12.2 PPG that season. That ended a run of five straight seasons averaging close to or better than double-digit points, but he has been stuck in single digits since that day. Granted, bringing in Beverley is not going to move the needle offensively, will add one thing to this team that they need to improve, which is defense. This was one of the better defensive teams when Ball was on the roster last year, and they have gone south since his injury. Adding Beverley will give the Bulls one of the better on-the-ball defenders in the game, which could help them neutralize some of their opponent's best players. Another thing this team lacks for whatever reason is toughness. Sure, they have plenty of vets on this roster, but none bring a toughness factor. Beverley is a no-nonsense type of player that likes to get under your skin. He knows he is not the best player on the court and doesn't care. Beverley thrives in his role, and the more annoying he can be on the defensive end, the better it can become for the Bulls. Having him for 23 games may not mean much, but it could help them at the very worst land in the play-in round. Now the Bulls will turn their focus to Wall with the hopes of landing him via the buyout market also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRaWlpp184k
