DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Free agent guard Patrick Beverley is planning to meet with the Dallas Mavericks when free agency begins on June 30, league sources tell 105.3 The Fan's Mike Fisher.
EXCLUSIVE: NBA sources tell DBcom Pat Beverley plans to grant #NBAFreeAgency2019 meeting to #Mavs https://t.co/hX1kHhIb2B pic.twitter.com/hblzZ310tY
— mike fisher ✭ (@fishsports)
June 18, 2019 Beverley, who spent the last two seasons as a lockdown defender with the Los Angeles Clippers, is seen as a tier-2 star, Fish says.
Despite being just 6-foot-1, Beverley is able to guard the league's elite scorers as he was tasked with guarding Kevin Durant in the Clippers first-round matchup against the Golden State Warriors.
Per Fish, there are some team officials who support acquiring a player such as Beverley, who has made two All-Defensive teams, because of the "toughness upgrade'' he'd bring to the team. Think of Beverley as a DeShawn Stevenson-type, a feisty player who can also knock down an open three-pointer (career 38 percent shooter).
Of course, there will be other suitors for his services when free agency opens. Clippers coach Doc Rivers called Beverley the "heartbeat" of their team and owner Steve Balmer wants to keep him in the fold. With two max slots available, the Clippers have been angling for Kawhi Leonard to bolt Toronto for Hollywood. Should they bring aboard Leonard and another star, Beverley and Danilo Gallinari would most likely be cap casualties.
Complicating things more for the Clippers is the fact that Sean Deveney reported late Monday that Beverley will meet with as many as five teams and won't necessarily wait on an offer from the Clippers. Deveney names the Bulls and Lakers as two of the other teams that have been tied to Beverley.
Sources tell me Patrick Beverley--a sensible FA target of the Bulls and Lakers--will be taking meetings with as many as 5 teams BEFORE meeting with the Clippers in 2 weeks. Clippers will be chasing max-type FAs, but Beverley won't necessarily wait on an offer from them, I'm told.
— Sean Deveney (@SeanDeveney)
June 17, 2019 Now, when it comes to the Mavs plan for free agency, Fish says everything remains status quo. "Plan K" has always been the team's no. 1 option, but with the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Klay Thompson unlikely to end up in Dallas, the Mavs have their eyes set on Kemba Walker. Another attractive name is Khris Middleton, however, Fish reports that he's planning to re-up with Milwaukee.
The Mavericks have around $30 million available to acquire either a max-level free agent, or they can "split their aces" as Fish likes to call it and sign two of Beverley, Julius Randle, Nikola Vucevic, Derrick Favors, Malcolm Brogdon, and Bojan Bogdanovic.
