Phoenix Suns: 5 potential trades for a point guard
3. Patrick Beverley
More than likely, Patrick Beverley (or Milos Teodosic, another Los Angeles Clippers point guard who could be on the market soon) would be better as a buyout candidate. The Clippers have a backcourt logjam between Beverley, Teodosic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lou Williams, Avery Bradley, Jerome Robinson and Jawun Evans.
Letting one of Beverley or Teodosic go makes the most sense. However, since Teodosic is a restricted free agent this summer, and since Beverley’s 2018-19 contract is non-guaranteed, the former defensive pit bull makes the most sense for the Suns.
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Phoenix needs defense, 3-point shooting and facilitating alongside Booker. Beverley checks off at least two of those boxes — when he’s actually healthy, of course. Over his last five years in the NBA, Beverley has missed 26, 26, 11, 15 and 71 games, respectively.
However, in his last healthy season in 2016-17, he posted 9.5 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Beverley also shot 38.2 percent from 3, while doubling as one of the league’s most tenacious defenders on the perimeter. Though he’s 30 years old, his defense and career 37.6 percent shooting from long range would be useful.
If his contract is guaranteed and he’s not a buyout pickup, the Suns could consider sending a young player with less value. Bridges or Jackson would be way too valuable to give up for Pat Beverley, while someone like Richaun Holmes doesn’t have a contract that matches up financially.
Since the Clippers’ backcourt is fully stocked, it’d have to be a frontcourt player, but one who isn’t as valuable. Only one name fits that description: Dragan Bender.
After cutting one sunk cost in Marquese Chriss, it’d be quite a statement for general manager Ryan McDonough to send away his other top-10 draft choice from 2016 — especially for what could amount to a one-year rental.
However, if Bender doesn’t show signs of progress in his third year, patience will be wearing thin, even if the Croatian still hasn’t turned 21 yet. His upside as a stretch-5 and versatile defender would be more than worth it from Los Angeles’ perspective, since it’d only be giving up the last year of Beverley.
For the Suns, this scenario might be a tough pill to swallow unless they get the indication that Beverley would be interested in playing alongside Booker for a few more years and could be re-signed for cheap in 2019. That outcome feels like a long shot, but if Beverley became available outside of the trade block, he’d jump to the top of Phoenix’s wish list.