Patrick Beverley to the Memphis Grizzlies?

In an effort to sign a marquee free agent, the Houston Rockets have made several key role players available, including Patrick Beverley. Could Beverley find himself in a Grizzlies’ uniform next season?

Remember when Patrick Beverley was Memphis’ public enemy number one after this little maneuver? Regardless of whether it was dirty or not, that sure is an impressive choke hold. If his NBA career doesn’t pan out, Beverley may just end up in WWE.

Near decapitations aside, Patrick Beverley is an excellent NBA role player who, along with Ryan Anderson and Lou Williams, is now on the market. The Rockets are poised to join the Chris Paul sweepstakes and are willing to make the moves to do so. With the news of Beverley on the market, there have been a large amount of suitors, including the Pacers and Jazz. Hopefully, the Memphis Grizzlies are paying attention as well.

A Player of Need

With only Wade Baldwin and Andrew Harrison at the backup point guard spot, the Grizzlies need a veteran upgrade. Though there are other potential options through free agency, Patrick Beverley could be the best option. He would provide a veteran presence and an upgrade for sure.

Beverley is a solid player on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he’s not called “Mr. 94 feet” for nothing, as he routinely defends the league’s top point guards. He’s a ballhawk that hounds opposing guards for the entire game. Offensively, he’s a secondary playmaker who can shoot and score. He averaged a solid 9.5 points and 4.2 assists per game last season, while shooting 38 percent from three. Despite his small size at 6’1″, 185 pounds, Beverley also proved that he’s one of the best rebounding guards in the league, averaging 5.9 rebounds per game.

As far as intangibles, Beverley belongs with the Memphis Grizzlies. He brings a toughness and tenacity to the table that rivals Tony Allen. Is Patrick Beverley a dirty player? Perhaps. However, it’s important to remember that he was the 42nd pick in the 2009 draft. He’s had to be the guy who does the dirty work to simply survive in the league. Regardless of how you look at it, Beverley brings toughness, tenacity–“grit ‘n’ grind” if you will–whenever he plays.

So What’s the Move?

Unless something changes within the next 24 hours, the Memphis Grizzlies currently have no draft picks, and thus, no assets in this draft.

However, Brandon Wright is a player that could be moved in a theoretical Patrick Beverley trade. Wright is a fast, athletic big who would fit well in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. With the arrival of Deyonta Davis, the Grizzlies don’t have much need for Wright anymore. Both players are currently making around $6 million a year, and Wright has only one year left on his contract, so the money would align as well. The Rockets could waive Wright or allow his money to come off the books in the summer of 2018. Perhaps the Grizzlies adding a couple of second-round picks could also sweeten the deal for Houston as well?

Next: Ranking Players by Trade Value

Conclusion

As a solid two-way player with a mean streak, Patrick Beverley would be an excellent addition to the Grizzlies. Along with his other skills, he would allow Mike Conley to play off the ball more, like this past season. He would also be another veteran mentor for the Grizzlies’ young backcourt.

When other teams make players available, it opens the door for opportunity. It’s up to Chris Wallace and the Grizzlies to take advantage of these opportunities. Only time will tell if they do.