LA Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley could be one of the hottest players on the market this summer, and there are rumors the Phoenix Suns may want him.
No player was more important to the LA Clippers this season than Patrick Beverley. The very definition of hard work and grit, Beverley helped the rest of the team embrace his attitude and scrap their way to the playoffs in a very stacked Western Conference. He’ll be a free agent this summer, and there are rumors that the Phoenix Suns are one of the teams that could look to add him to their squad.
The information comes from John Gambadoro, a Phoenix-based sports radio host. According to him, the Suns could have their eyes set on Beverley, Cory Joseph, Darren Collison and TJ McConnell once free agency begins on June 30.
It isn’t hard to see why Phoenix would want to go after Beverley — the Suns haven’t had a legitimately good point guard since Eric Bledsoe left after playing three games in 2017. In addition to that, they’ve tended to avoid or, more often, miss out on selecting quality point guard prospects in the NBA Draft. More recently, Phoenix has had Devin Booker run the offense. And while that’s worked to some degree, it’s clear the Suns need a true point guard at the helm.
Outside of Booker, the Suns don’t have a single player earning a salary greater than $20 million annually. Tyler Johnson is the next player in line, who is set to make just over $19 million next season if he opts-in to the final year of his contract. What I’m saying is here is that Phoenix has ample cap room to sign a player like Beverley, and could even have room for a max-level player, though that seems unlikely.
The best pitch Phoenix could make to Beverley would be focused on the future, as well as the chance to play with Booker and a rising star in Deandre Ayton. Comparatively speaking, that’s very weak when you consider the grip the Clippers could have on him.
Beverley is already familiar with the LA Clippers organization and he’s very well-respected by the fan base. But the most important thing here is that Beverley has a better chance to win with the Clippers than he will with almost any other team that would make him their starting point guard, including the Suns.
Surely a scenario exists in which the Suns could be a playoff team in the coming seasons, but they’ve been one of the worst teams in basketball since they missed the postseason in 2013-2014. Without a definite path to a title any time soon, it’ll be hard to convince a hard-nosed veteran like Beverley to sign there, no matter the amount of money they throw at him.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are supposed to be firmly in the mix to sign players like Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant this summer. And although LA might not be able to offer Beverley the same kind of money that a bottom-feeder team could, it’s hard to imagine him turning down the chance to win a title with some of the best basketball players in the world.
Teams like the Phoenix Suns certainly pose a threat, but it would likely take a lot to convince someone like Beverley to avoid re-signing with the LA Clippers this summer.