The Utah Jazz might once again be looking for a new starting point guard as they look towards next season amid their potential losses this offseason. One name that has been coming up quite a lot is Patrick Beverley, currently with the Houston Rockets, with a very team-friendly contract attached to his name.
Beverley is known for his defense, shooting and tendency to get injured, as well as being comfortable of playing off the ball quite a lot, which comes with the territory when you make yourself a backcourt partner to James Harden. The soon to be 29-year old has done quite well for himself since being a 2nd round pick in 2009. It took him some time to find a place in the NBA, but since joining the Rockets in January of 2013, he’s established himself in the starting lineup, averaging 9.3 points and 3.4 assists in 28.5 minutes per game while shooting 37.5% from three. His defense might be a tad overrated at times, but overall he’s a good guard to have when there’s someone else designated to lead the offense from the perimeter.
The Jazz had George Hill in a good season last year, as they made the conference semifinals for the first time in quite a while. Hill, however, is a free agent, and while he could be re-signed, it won’t be surprising to see him walk away, which is a risk with the Jazz’ best player last season, Gordon Hayward, who was the team’s main ball handler last season. Other point guards on the roster last year were Raul Neto, Dante Exum and Shelvin Mack. For a team aspiring to move up in the world, those three aren’t enough.
Beverley has a terrific contract which makes him a prime target for trades, with the Rockets looking to move both him and Ryan Anderson before the draft. Beverley has two more seasons on his deal and only one of them is guaranteed. Next season he’ll count for just $5.5 million against the cap, incredible in today’s salary cap situation. In 2018-2019, if he isn’t cut, he’ll be a $5 million cap hit.
There are players the Rockets might be interested in, which might be something the Jazz will have to throw at them: They have the 30th overall pick and the 55th in 2017, and a conditional first round pick from Oklahoma City in 2018. That might not be a whole lot to work with, and with other teams also looking into the Beverley situation, it could be difficult for the Jazz to acquire Beverley without giving up on someone more integral than they initially hoped to lose.