Sixers deal Beverley to Bucks, pick up point guard Cameron Payne
Sixers deal Beverley to Bucks, pick up point guard Cameron Payne originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers are shaking things up behind Tyrese Maxey.
The team is trading Patrick Beverley to the Bucks in exchange for Cameron Payne and Milwaukee's 2027 second-round pick, a source confirmed Thursday to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Pat Bev Pod broke the news that Beverley was moving to the Bucks. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer were first to report the specific terms of the deal.
Beverley, 35, signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Sixers this past offseason. He provided his usual leadership, perpetual intensity and bothersome perimeter defense.
Beverley's personality fit well in Philadelphia.
Ok ok ok. 🥶 Game. @PatBevPod Philly Luv Gang
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 8, 2024
He tweeted his appreciation Thursday for Sixers fans, his teammates, head coach Nick Nurse, general manager Elton Brand, and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. Beverley signed with Morey's Rockets in 2013 and had a memorable three-game stint with Nurse's Rio Grande Valley Vipers team before establishing himself in the NBA.
I wanna Thanks the 76ers Fans and my teammates for allowing me to do my thing. Always love Nurse and EB.
Morey is understand the business. You took a chance on me over a decade ago when no one did. Always love.
76ers Luv ❤️❤️❤️— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 8, 2024
In 47 games as a Sixer, Beverley averaged 6.1 points on 43.2/32.1/81.0 shooting splits, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
The 29-year-old Payne is a 6-foot-3 lefty point guard who played 42 playoff games over the past three seasons with the Suns. He then signed a one-year, minimum deal to join Milwaukee, where his playing time decreased to 14.9 minutes per game.
Over the past four seasons, Payne has posted 9.0 points, 3.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds per contest, shooting 38.1 percent from three-point range. He'll likely be an upgrade over Beverley in the long-distance shooting department.
The best-case scenario with Payne on the Sixers seems to be that he's comfortable running the offense in Maxey-less minutes, and that he can hold his own defensively in multi-guard lineups, push the pace, and make some catch-and-shoot threes.
Given the Sixers' reported interest in Kyle Lowry, the buyout market may very well also be a large factor in the team's backup point guard picture.
With Beverley departing Philadelphia and former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers now leading Milwaukee, Sixers vs. Bucks on Feb. 25 is a game worth circling on the calendar.