Former Philadelphia 76ers Guard Reacts to LA Lakers Trade

Patrick Beverley weighs in on Lakers acquiring Dorian Finley-Smith.

Nov 17, 2018; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard D Angelo Russell (1) controls the ball in front of Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (21) in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-Imagn Images / Nicole Sweet-Imagn Images

While he isn’t in the NBA anymore, Patrick Beverley still regularly shares his thoughts on everything going on in and around the association. On Sunday afternoon, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard weighed in on the LA Lakes getting some reinforcements before the trade deadline.

ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report on the trade between the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. LA acquired veterans Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in excange for D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks.

Many have praised the Lakers for going out and landing a versatile three-and-D wing like Finney-Smith, but Beverley is skeptical about the addition. Instead, he is more focused on Russell going back to the Nets. The former No. 2 pick had some of the best years of his career in Brooklyn, most notably being an All-Star in 2019.

dlo to Nets is good for him and the team. nets will be able to compete still. and he gets to hoop. @PatBevPod

Finney-Smith to Lakers idk about that tho

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) December 29, 2024

Similar to the first time he arrived on the Nets, Russell finds himself in the early stages of a rebuild. As a veteran talent on an expiring contract, it’s unlikely his second run with the team goes on past this season.

Even though Beverley is questionable about DFS on the Lakers, he has the skill set to be a good complementary piece. Along with being a positive defender at the forward position, he is back to being an effective three-point shooter. This season, Finley-Smith is shooting 43.5% from deep on over five attempts per game. If he can maintain this efficiency, he should pair well alongside the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

As for Beverley, he continues to keep his pro career alive overseas after spending last season with the Sixers and Milwaukee Bucks.