Sixers Sign Patrick Beverley: What Will His Role Be?
The Sixers have signed their first free agent of the summer.
Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
The Sixers are signing free agent Patrick Beverley to a one-year, fully-guaranteed minimum contract worth about $3.2 million, as was first reported by Beverley’s podcast.
Beverley, who turns 35 later this month, is known for his on-court theatrics, particularly when it comes to his defense, where he earns his money acting as an annoying pest against opposing ball-handlers, and even wings who hold major height advantages over him.
Beverley has never fit the mold of a true “pure” point guard, as his playmaking is nothing to write home about. Yet his defense and ability to play off the ball have enabled him to carve out a decade-plus career so far.
Beverley is coming off the least efficient three-point shooting season of his career, knocking down just 33.5 percent of his tries in the 2022-23 season, which he spent with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. His shooting was lackluster in 2021-22 as well, and so the Sixers’ hope is that he can find the stroke that led him to a 38.2 three-point percentage in total from 2012 to 2021.
After the departure of Shake Milton to Minnesota and the James Harden situation unclear, Sixers President of Basketball Operations is bringing in a tenacious guard whose career he helped spark by signing him to his first NBA contract in Houston over a decade ago.
It’s hard to project a specific role for Beverley considering the mystery surrounding Harden’s trade request, but for a veteran as established as Beverley is, it stands to reason he was guaranteed consistent playing time considering he signed for the veteran’s minimum.
It is fair to wonder if Beverley is over the hill. His last two seasons have been his worst from beyond the arc, and father time eventually defeats every player. But, even as a long-time skeptic of Beverley’s true value, signing him to a minimum contract seems like a gamble worth making. There is no guarantee he becomes a critical piece for the Sixers, but the risk here is minimal.