LA Lakers traded Patrick Beverley to New Orleans Magic in exchange for the big guy Mo Mamba at the brink of the trade deadline.
After napping throughout the trade window, the LA Lakers made major shuffles at the near end of the trade deadline. They acquired Rui Hachimura for Kendrick Nunn just after the trade window opened up. Moreover, towards the end of the window, the Lakers traded two of their regular player, Russell Westbrook, and Patrick Beverley.
While Russell Westbrook landed in Utah Jazz, Patrick Beverley went to Orleans Magic. Both departures were ugly, as the players and the club have constantly been taking potshots at each other. Moreover, just a few days ago, a Lakers insider called Westbrook a blood-sucking vampire. The comment was widely condemned, with Westbrook’s wife hitting back at the club. Now Beverley joins the clan with fresh accusations.
Patrick Beverley Hints At Locker Room Clashes Within The Lakers
On the day of the trade deadline, the Lakers announced the departure of Patrick Beverley. The purple and gold traded Beverley to Orleans Magic for Mo Mamba. Furthermore, Beverley’s stay at the Orleans was short-lived as the club decided to waive his contract. Hence, the point guard is now on the buyout market looking for deals. Miami Heat has shown reasonable interest in Patrick and could land him at the end of the current season.
Meanwhile, Patrick Beverley decided to hit back at the Lakers for throwing him under the bus. The point guard appeared on a podcast recently and addressed the Lakers’ locker room situation. Patrick said the issues within the Lakers camp are not basketball related. The point guard further added the vibe in the locker room is weird, hinting at friction among the players. Beverley concluded by saying that the vibes around the camp are the main reason for the Lakers’ poor show on the court.
“Inconsistent vibes lead to inconsistent play,” said Patrick Beverley.
Anthony Davis On Cross Roads With Lakers Front Office
News of friction between the Lakers’ front office and players is not new, and Patrick Beverley is not an exception. Just a few days ago, reports came in that Anthony Davis is unhappy with the Lakers’ front office as they made sloppy and delayed trades. AD believes the team can still make it to the playoffs, but such sloppiness is not going to help in that cause.
The Lakers stand 13th on the Western Conference points table at the moment. They have around 25 games left, out of which they need to win at least over 20 to stand a chance of making it into the playoffs. The goal looks far-fetched and impossible as of now. But the team is holding the faith of crossing the finish line this time. However, with LeBron James sitting out, AD, who just returned from injury, will feel the added pressure of carrying the team through all alone.
