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The Utah Jazz are sending Patrick Beverley to the Los Angeles Lakers for Talen-Horton Tucker and Stanley Johnson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. There are no picks involved in the deal, which allows the Lakers to add a veteran point guard while dealing away an underwhelming long-term contract.
Lakers and Jazz are expected to finalize the deal on Thursday morning, delivering Beverley to LA after a brief stayover with Jazz. No picks involved in the deal, per sources. https://t.co/s4FjjrHu4q
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 25, 2022
Fantasy basketball impact
The dynamic between Russell Westbrook and Beverley is not great, so this means there’s a strong chance the Lakers are attempting to make a Westbrook trade or have one lined up. Beverley is a quality defender and three-point shooter, something Westbrook struggled with last season. He may not make the high-impact offensive plays Westbrook does, but Beverley is a nice rotation piece alongside LeBron James and should have decent fantasy value as the likely Lakers starter.
Betting impact
Losing two rotation pieces like Horton-Tucker and Johnson should theoretically hurt the Lakers, but this also signals there’s a deal to move on from Westbrook. That alone should help LA get better, and Beverley is an experienced player who still makes an impact. The Jazz are trying to rebuild, so they can afford to take on project players. The Lakers are trying to win a title, and Beverley makes their team better for the 2022-23 season.