Ex-Lakers guard, second-round pick teases NBA comeback despite being well past prime

The offseason is the perfect time for NBA rejects to get their minds and bodies prepared for an inspirational return to the big leagues. 

On Thursday night, a former Los Angeles guard and second-round pick teased an NBA comeback on X/Twitter despite being well past his prime. 

“Looking at all options as we speak,” Patrick Beverley said in response to a user who suggested the 36-year-old join the Charlotte Hornets in 2025-26. “We def going back to NBA next season.”

Beverley spent last season with Israeli-based club Hapoel Tel Aviv. 

Beverley’s professional career has been all over the place. The Lakers drafted the Chicago, Illinois native in 2009 (No. 42 overall) but later traded him to the Miami Heat.

After getting cut by Miami, Beverley spent one season with Olympiacos (Greece) and one with Spartak St. Petersburg (Russia) before signing a multi-year deal with the Houston Rockets in 2013.

Following a four-year stint with the Rockets, Beverley joined the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves; the Lakers took a gamble on the limited offensive weapon by trading for him in 2022. 

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Beverley, an aggressive on-ball defender who enjoys tormenting non-physical opponents, averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game with the Lakers, shooting 40.2% from the field and 34.8% from three in 45 games with the organization. 

Los Angeles traded the Arkansas product to the Chicago Bulls midway through the 2022-23 season, which, unknowingly, was a sign that Beverley was on thin ice in the pros.

Beverley found himself without an NBA home during the 2024 free agency period after the Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks agreed to move on from the passionate journeyman. 

Although Beverley won’t receive ample NBA interest as an aging guard near retirement, it’s commendable that he’s attempting to return to the league that helped shape his career.

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