Patrick Beverley went to high school less than two miles from the United Center. 17 years later, he’s finally there as a Chicago Bull.
The Los Angeles Lakers traded Beverley to Orlando last week, and he quickly negotiated a buyout. Now he’ll be a member of the Bulls, just a short drive down Madison Street from where Beverley starred at John Marshall Metro High School from 2003-06.
Beverley started his professional career playing in Europe. In 2012, while he was a member of Spartak St. Petersburg, Beverley speculated about coming to the NBA and joining the Bulls.
After 11 years and four different NBA teams, Beverley has finally made his way to Chicago. They have a need at point guard, especially with the expectation the team will shut down Lonzo Ball for the season.
While Alex Caruso has been solid, the Bulls have been 8.6 points per 100 possessions with second-year guard Ayo Dosunmu on the court.
Beverley is averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists this season, and started 45 games for the Lakers. He’s mainly a defender and a 3-point shooter at age 34, attempting 65.6% of his shots behind the arc.
His most memorable moment of the season didn’t involve an actual basketball play: It was when he borrowed a camera to show a referee he’d missed a blatant foul against LeBron James.
The referee was unamused and gave Beverley a technical.
Previously, the Bulls appeared interested in a different former Lakers point guard in the buyout market. According to Chris Haynes, Coach Billy Donovan reached out to recruit Russell Westbrook, who he coached in Oklahoma City, to the Bulls.
Westbrook is signing with the Clippers, so the Bulls went with the local legend. For his part, Beverley seems quietly enthused about coming home.
