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After a four-year stint with the Los Angeles Clippers as a key member of their core, Patrick Beverley is on the move in a trade for the second time in a matter of days.
Beverley just got shipped from LA to Memphis, but the Grizzlies turned around and dealt the 33-year-old veteran to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Known for his tenacious perimeter defense and overall physical demeanor, Beverley was a gritty, tough member of the Clippers who preceded the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era. Once that superstar duo arrived, the Clips’ core had the makings of a championship squad.
Unfortunately, despite several solid seasons of service, Beverley won’t see through any championship dreams in the City of Angels.
It was thought that Beverley would be an ideal veteran to mentor the young, Ja Morant-led Grizzlies and help them take the next step to ascend higher in the Western Conference. Instead, Rajon Rondo figures to be the primary candidate for that role, as Beverley is now part of a full-on rebuild in Minnesota.
Find out where the Timberwolves rank in our latest NBA power rankings
Memphis has done a great job stacking young talent in recent years, and as part of the Beverley trade, the team gets something of a reclamation project in Jarrett Culver.
The sixth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Culver struggled to find his footing with the Timberwolves off a strong two-year stint at Texas Tech. Given how well the Grizzlies have developed their younger players of late, it seems like Culver has a shot to better capitalize on his potential with this change of scenery.
What’s great about the addition of Beverley for Minnesota is that he gives the young, somewhat finesse squad more of a hard-nosed identity. His ability to play point guard also opens up more lineup versatility on offense, as D’Angelo Russell can play off the ball, and Anthony Edwards can play the 2 or the 3, depending on what the Wolves want to do.
Minnesota’s move to acquire Beverley also has to be, in part, a reaction to its decision to trade beloved floor general Ricky Rubio to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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