LA Clippers: Team May Lose Patrick Beverley to Dallas

While free agency won’t start for a couple more months, rumors are circulating. Could the LA Clippers lose Patrick Beverley to the Dallas Mavericks?

What is it with Mark Cuban wanting tough players that the LA Clippers have? NBA free agency won’t start until July and while Clipper Nation will have most of their focus on the star market, an invaluable piece may be on his way out. Patrick Beverley could get his pay day with the Dallas Mavericks.

It’s no secret that Beverley will be courted by a lot of teams this summer. His skill set fits with every type of team and his toughness is even more valuable. He also showed a lot in the Clippers’ first round loss to the Golden State Warriors, especially when matched up against Kevin Durant. Simply put, Bev is the type of player that every team wants.

The Dallas Mavericks might have more interest than others, however. According to Marc Stein, the Mavs have already had internal discussions about adding the point guard. Dallas already has an elite backcourt player in place in Luka Doncic and Beverley’s ability to play defense and spot up from three compliments his play-style perfectly.

This report went largely unnoticed until yesterday, when Beverley tweeted out the following:

https://twitter.com/patbev21/status/1125514663184224262

With no context, it’s hard to discern what this tweet means. It didn’t stop Clipper Nation from worrying though.

The Mavs seem to be going all in after adding Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline this season. Bringing in a veteran presence like Beverley just makes sense as they try to establish an identity and begin to win games in the tough Western Conference.

There would be some irony in Beverley joining the Mavericks considering the run in he had with one of their fans this season. Beverley was ejected after arguing with the fan in the December 2 game, but it was later reported that the super fan had received a lifetime ban from the Mavericks.

For the Clippers, many fans would love to see Beverley coming back. He was a leader on and off the court and an integral part to the team’s overachieving. He also served as a mentor for the rookies Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerome Robinson and Landry Shamet. With eyes on bigger fish though, Beverley may get lost in the shuffle. With this possibly being his last chance for a big contract, the Clippers might be unable to provide what he wants.

If the team only lands one star, Bev might be able to get a deal around $10 million. He currently has a cap hold of $9.5 mil, so adding a max player (even if it’s Kevin Durant at the expected $38 million), the Clippers would still have room. By not renouncing Beverley, they are afforded a little more wiggle room as they can sign him over the cap.

Should they manage to land both stars though, the team will have to renounce Beverley, among other things, in order to make space. This leaves them with only about $5 million in space to bring in new guys or re-sign players that they have renounced. Yes, the mid-level exception becomes a possibility, but the team won’t have as much freedom to bring back Bev.

On the year, Beverley scored 7.6 points on 40.7% shooting (39.7% from deep on 3.6 attempts per game), dished out 3.8 assists, grabbed 5.0 rebounds and snagged 0.9 steals. Losing him isn’t something we hope happens, but given the circumstances, it’s something Clipper Nation needs to prepare for.