July 01, 2023
The Sixers are signing guard Patrick Beverley to a one-year deal, a source confirmed to PhillyVoice on Saturday afternoon. Beverley's signing with Philadelphia was initially broken — and you don't get to write this often — by the account for Beverley's podcast. A pretty good source, if I do say so myself.
Beverley's deal is for one year at the minimum, a source told PhillyVoice on Saturday.
If ever there was a player who felt built to play in Philadelphia, it's Beverley, who grinded his way through a few years in Europe before landing in the NBA as a hard-charging, defense-first guard that has stuck around for a decade. Opinions on Beverley tend to be split around the league, but it is hard to miss him on the floor whenever he's out there. He is an in-your-face, motor-mouthed, high-energy defender who relishes the competition of chasing around elite perimeter players.
Inevitably, there will be cries of, "Another former Houston Rocket!" from the peanut gallery on this one, and I would estimate these are slightly fairer than the rest. While Beverley was a reasonably good two-way player at his best, making a positive impact on teams in Houston and Los Angeles, his offensive utility has taken a hit in recent seasons as a result of struggles from beyond the arc. Beverley was never much of a creator for himself or others, so his slide from good three-point shooter to average or worse has eaten into his ability to help a team on the offensive end of the floor.
Turning 35 in mid-July, there will also be fair questions about Beverley's impact on the defensive end moving forward. While a former Rockets combo of P.J. Tucker and Beverley would have been imposing at their respective peaks, both are susceptible to being beaten with speed at this stage of their careers, with the Sixers in need of some younger legs and athleticism throughout the rest of the roster. That being said, Beverley is the sort of competitor who you'd expect to make a positive impact culturally, and a player who will be unafraid to get into Embiid's chest and bark if he feels their franchise player has more to offer on the floor.
Under the assumption that James Harden is eventually moved and with Nick Nurse expected to start adjusting the team in his image — he's even helming Philadelphia's Summer League team in Utah, a rare sight for an NBA head coach — you could imagine a world where the Sixers take on more of a defensive-minded approach this season. Beverley certainly fits into that shift, and if he can rediscover his touch while playing off of Embiid in the middle of the floor, he'll add value to Philadelphia this year.
(Another fun wrinkle of signing Beverley — he's not a bad guy for someone like Jaden Springer to be around as a guard whose defensive profile will be his path to getting on the floor. Maybe the wily veteran can teach the young guy how to play the psychological games, though I suspect it'll be hard to replicate Beverley's specific brand of mania.)
On a minimum deal, there's no real risk involved here, and I would bet there will be at least a few standing ovations for Beverley in Philadelphia for flying into the scorer's table for a loose ball or jawing at an opposing star Sixers fans don't like. His basketball impact may not be what it once was, but the entertainment value remains.
This story is developing...
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