Lakers Make Questionable Trade For Jazz Guard Patrick Beverley

What are the Lakers and LeGM up to ...

Announced late Wednesday, the Lakers agreed to a trade with the Utah Jazz: swapping two of their rising, young players in Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson for veteran guard Patrick Beverley, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Yes, the overly enthusiastic and aggravating defender, Patrick Beverley, and there's no clear-cut intent with Beverley's acquisition.

The deal is not expected to be made official until Thursday or Friday, reports Wojnarowski.

Offloading THT, a defensively capable guard that never lived up to expectations in LA, and Johnson mostly followed whispers that both players weren't fitting into the planned rotation for 2023.

Johnson emerged as a valuable player for the Lakers last season, brought on by multiple 10-day hardship deals before reaching a full-season contract on Jan. 27. The Anaheim native was also a dependable defensive option, standing at 6-foot-6, and even showed flashes of scoring ability.

Still, Beverley, at age 34, carries some appeal for the Southland. As a consistent wing player on any roster — Lakers being his fourth —Beverley can boost LA's defensive needs and role of a spot-up shooting option from deep once LeBron James gets eager with drawing in a defense and kicking the ball out for three.

Beverley was traded to the Utah Jazz this offseason in the major package for center Rudy Gobert.

Plus, Pat Bev and Russell Westbrook on the same team seems like a volatile dynamic fit only for the LA Lakers.

While some had hoped that THT for Beverley straight would suffice as a deal, the Lakers have turned into an organization that needs to make up its deficiencies with costly moves by the front office.

Lakers fans also hope that the move for Beverley becomes a precursor to a bigger deal ... say, with the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield?

Now that the Kyrie Irving to LA rumors fizzled out, general manager Rob Pelinka, LeBron and the Lakers have to start looking in other directions.

The move for Beverley did free up salary cap for the LA's books. Beverley is slated to make $13 million in 2022-23. As part of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, Beverley averaged 9.2 points, 4.6 assists (a career-high), and 4.1 rebounds, also shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Here's what Lakers fans thought of the move: