NBA veteran guard Patrick Beverley is signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, he announced on social mediaTuesday afternoon.
Beverley, who turned 36 this week, posted on his X account this week that he was weighing whether to sign a veteran minimum NBA contract or take a deal overseas. He began his pro basketball career playing in Greece and Russia before spending the past 12 years in the NBA.
Beverley started the 2023-24 season in Philadelphia before being traded to Milwaukee at the deadline in February to reunite with coach Doc Rivers. Beverley averaged 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 41.7% shooting (33.7% from 3) in 73 games last season.
With Milwaukee hampered by injuries in the playoffs, he started all six of the Bucks’ playoff games before they lost in the first round to the Indiana Pacers.
Should Beverley ever return to the league, he faces a four-game suspension for throwing the ball at Pacers fans multiple times in Game 6 of that first-round series loss.
Beverley has played for five different franchises since the start of the 2021-22 season and had not signed a multiyear deal since 2019.
For a 12-year NBA veteran like Beverley, the veteran minimum would be $3.3 million, which is approximately what he was paid last season. The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets made that offer, according to Sportal’s Christos Tsaltas. So the presumption is that he was offered more money to play in Israel and perhaps for multiple years.
Beverley finished last season with the Milwaukee Bucks after being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged six points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists, while shooting 36% on 3-pointers.
However, Beverley faces a four-game suspension to begin the 2024-25 season after throwing a basketball at fans sitting courtside at Gainbridge Fieldhouse during Game 6 of the first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers. (The Bucks lost, 120-98, and were eliminated from the postseason.) Beverley began his professional basketball career playing overseas, first in Ukraine and then Greece. He played two seasons in Russia before signing with the Houston Rockets for the 2012-13 season. During his NBA career, Beverley has also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakersand Chicago Bulls.
If Beverley’s NBA career has ended, he will have finished with 666 games (starting 518) with an average of 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 37% from 3-point range.
By Agencies
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