Though his Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs on April 29, Patrick Beverley’s name has remained on the public radar. Except for the most part it’s been due to some interesting appearances on ESPN, where Beverley can frequently be heard making some outlandish claims.
The latest reason why Pat Bev’s name is circulating is due to a rumor suggesting the Miami Heat may have an interest in trading for the feisty defender with a bulldog mentality. Let’s dive in.
NBA exec suggests Miami Heat ‘would love’ to trade for Pat Bev
Players like Patrick Beverley don’t grow on trees. As an intense player who knows what it takes to win, giving his all on both ends of the court, Beverley fits the Miami Heat culture to a T.
According to an Eastern Conference NBA exec who spoke to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, the Heat would love to pry Beverley away from the Wolves, if it can be done.
“The Heat would love to get Patrick Beverley. The Timberwolves, obviously, they love what he brought last year, but if they could sell high, they might be willing to give him up. They have a new regime there, so they can look at things a little more realistically.”
Unnamed Eastern Conference NBA exec on Miami’s interest in Pat Bev
Beverley makes sense for the Heat due to their need for improved point guard play, both from their starter and off the bench. At 36 years old, Kyle Lowry isn’t getting any younger, but alternating him and Beverley could help provide more stability at an important position.
- Patrick Beverley stats: 9.2 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 1.3 TOV, 34.3 3P%
One potential roadblock for the Heat to make this trade happen is that the T-Wolves may not want to part with Pat Bev. It’s been less than four months since Beverley signed his extension to stick around for another season with the Wolves, and he truly did help them change their culture, leading to a rare playoff appearance in the North Star State.
- Patrick Beverley contract: $13 million in 2022-23
Then there’s this from the same Eastern Conference exec, which honestly causes me to take this report with a bit of a grain of salt.
“If Minnesota put a future first-round pick, 2025 or something, and a role player like Jarrod Vanderbilt, with Miami sending back Duncan Robinson and one of their young bench guys, like [Omer] Yurtseven…”
This is asinine, in that the Wolves would not add a first-round pick, in addition to their starting point guard, and their starting power forward in Jarred Vanderbilt (not a role player), only so they can trade Pat Bev.
But he does make a good point with Omer Yurtseven, which I’ll touch on in a bit. And Duncan Robinson isn’t any more desirable for the team than Malik Beasley currently is.
It is however possible that new Wolves team president Tim Connelly looks to shake things up, and although Bev is likely valued in-house, he is expendable, depending on the trade return.
One player the Timberwolves would likely have great interest in, should talks progress, would be big man Omer Yurtseven. The 23-year-old seven-footer had a total rebound percentage of 23.6%, which would have ranked second-best in the NBA, had he played enough minutes to qualify.
And P.J. Tucker is another player who would be a great fit in Minnesota, starting next to KAT. But the Wolves would still be without their starting point guard, which would only create another need elsewhere. Still, a Pat Bev to Miami trade may be more in reach than some might expect.
As the Wolves continue to mold the future around Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and to a lesser extent Jaden McDaniels, everyone else on the roster should be considered a tradeable asset. That includes Pat Bev, even if they love him too.