Yes, an actual official trade was reported late Wednesday, with the deal including two of the Phoenix Suns conference rivals.
According to both Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers are trading Talen Horton Tucker for Utah Jazz guard Patrick Beverley.
While the trade in isolation won’t have much effect on the Phoenix Suns, it does increase the likelihood of a greater impact further down the line.
Sure, the addition of Beverley might make the Lakers slightly better in the short-term. He’s always been one of the most dogged perimeter defenders in the league, and has developed himself into a capable three-point shooter. Ironically, he would have been a nice addition for the Suns if not for his not-so-healthy relationship with Chris Paul.
However, no one is acknowledging this as a league-altering move in its itself. For the Suns, they’ll still be regarded and expected to be the better and more dominant team going into next season.
It’s actually another of Beverley’s controversial relationships that gives this the potential of having further, more impactful machinations. NBA fans were quick to identify the almost comical fact that Beverley was joining Russell Westbrook at the Lakers, with the pair sharing a constant beef that dates back almost a decade.
So unlikely is the partnership that many believe the Lakers wouldn’t make this move without having a Westbrook trade already lined up. It’s widely acknowledged that they’re looking to move Westbrook and his $47 million expiring deal to the rebuilding Indiana Pacers, throwing in picks in the process to acquire Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
If that were to happen, then all of a sudden the Lakers are a completely different proposition. They already have a superstar duo in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they just need competent role-players to fit into their system.
Beverley, Turner and Hield would provide that, making the Lakers a much more dangerous foe as the Suns again battle for Pacific division supremacy. We’ll now wait and see if this Beverley-Horton-Tucker deal is a prelude to something more substantial.
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