The Los Angeles Lakers are finalizing a trade to acquire Utah Jazz guard Patrick Beverley, sources told ESPN on Wednesday night.
The deal, on course to be completed Thursday morning, will send Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker and forward Stanley Johnson to the Jazz, sources said.
Beverley returns to Los Angeles after spending 2017-21 as a Clipper, bringing with him a well-established ferocity and defensive presence that new coach Darvin Ham is determined to implement into the defense that ranked 21st in the league last season.
Beverley, 34, played a significant role in the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ return to the Western Conference playoffs last season before landing in Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert trade. Beverley was eager to join the Lakers in a trade, sources said, and thrilled to learn of the impending deal.
Over the past five seasons, Beverley has held opponents to 41.9% shooting as the closest defender, second-best among players defending 2,000 shots, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information.
Beverley’s arrival on an expiring $13 million contract essentially leaves only LeBron James ($46.7 million) and Anthony Davis ($40.6 million) on the Lakers’ books, delivering them significant salary-cap space to remake the roster around those two All-NBA stars.
The Jazz acquire Horton-Tucker, 21, as the franchise moves toward a rebuild. Utah remains active in trade talks on All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Horton-Tucker averaged 10 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Lakers last season.
Johnson averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season.