Very active since the opening of the market, the Lakers had not yet managed to get their hands on a star. But it is now done, as Shams Charania has just announced. He is a renowned leader who thus lands in the City of Angels.
If the Lakers have managed to fill their rotation with a few players during the summer, we can not say that their offseason has reassured many people. It is however not for lack of having tried, but the Purples and Golds have systematically come up against the refusal of the competition, for lack of being able to formulate interesting trade offers. That’s why they had to write off Kyrie Irving for example, who will ultimately stay at the Nets.
Nevertheless, by dint of persevering, Rob Pelinka’s front office finally managed to negotiate a major deal. As the insider Shams Charania has just revealed, LA has thus set up an exchange with Utah around Patrick Beverley. The former Clipper will therefore now play for the local rival! In return, Talen Horton-Tucker will go the opposite way, after the franchise has long refused to include him in any packages:
Patrick Beverley arrives at the Lakers
The Jazz are trading Patrick Beverley to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2022
The Jazz are trading Patrick Beverley to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker, sources tell The Athletic.
The leader will see his dream come true, since he has been making all but subtle foot calls to the Californians for quite some time. Eager to play with LeBron James in particular, he will bring a lot thanks to his game profile: an expert watchdog in man-to-man defense, capable of getting into the heads of his opponents and doing the dirty work. On the other hand, it will be very strange to see him alongside Russell Westbrookas they have openly hated each other for years.
When it comes to Jazz, the message seems clear about where the franchise is headed. PatBev had asked to be traded if the Mormons reconstruction was to take place, and this could also have repercussions on the file Donovan Mitchell. With Horton-Tucker, they recover a talented young guard but who must pull himself together after a complicated season. He will not be the only one to continue his career in Salt Lake City, since Stanley Johnson is also part of the trip.
FULL TRADE DETAILS:
Lakers receive:
Patrick BeverleyJazz receive:
Talen Horton-Tucker
Stanley JohnsonWow, wow, wow.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 25, 2022
Patrick Beverley is now a Laker, something he had been dreaming of for several weeks already. His defense will do the Purples and Golds a lot of good, however it remains to be seen how he will live with Russell Westbrook, the two men being anything but friends.
