Patrick Beverley Brings 'Energy & Defense' if Magic Keeps Him in Orlando

The Los Angeles Lakers traded Patrick Beverley to the Orlando Magic. But will the impending free agent stay in central Florida?

ORLANDO -The Orlando Magic is welcoming Patrick Beverley to the team after acquiring him in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers for Mo Bamba.

Beverley could be a buyout candidate for a Magic team not expected to make the playoffs, but Orlando keeps the 11-year veteran, what will they get out of him?

We spoke with All Lakers contributor Noah Camras for his takes on the trade and Beverley's potential impact in Orlando.

1. Assuming he stays with Orlando, what can Beverley bring to the Magic? 

In all honesty, I don’t expect him to remain in Orlando. But if he does, he’ll bring a ton of energy on both ends of the floor. He’s a tenacious defender, and as pesky as they come. He also vastly improved his three-point shooting over the last few weeks, so he’ll still contribute on the offensive end. But I don’t think Orlando should take any minutes away from their young backcourt.

2. What are Beverley's biggest strengths and weaknesses? 

His biggest strength is obviously his defense and energy on that end of the court. As for a weakness, like I said, he has improved his offense, but I wouldn’t call him much of a playmaker or scorer. He can hit an open shot when it’s presented to him, but he’s by no means going to get you 20 points on any given night. Also, beware of the technical fouls.

3. Why did the Lakers feel Beverley was worth dealing at the deadline? 

Darvin Ham had a weird obsession with Beverley, and loved playing him in three-guard lineups. He wasn’t as good a fit as the Lakers had hoped, and he’s on an expiring contract anyway. So the best way to force him out of Ham’s starting lineup was to just move him for move size and scoring. 

4. Why did the Lakers feel Bamba was worth trading for? 

Bamba has been someone the Lakers have been linked to forever. They desperately needed a strong defensive big to backup Anthony Davis, and Bamba will provide just that. On the offensive side of the ball, he can stretch the floor, knocking down threes at a near 40 percent clip. He’s the exact backup big man this team was missing.

5. Grade the trade for the Lakers and Magic.

I thought the Magic could get more than some second-rounders out of Bamba, so I’d give them a B-. As for the Lakers, they wanted to get rid of Beverley and add Bamba, but this is by no means a franchise-altering move. It’s a solid move, and I’d give them a B+.

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