This past season was a disappointing one for the Chicago Bulls. Just one year after breaking their four-year playoff drought, they found themselves on the outside looking in once again. Chicago was bounced in the Play-In Tournament by the Miami Heat, the eventual Eastern Conference Champions.
However, the Bulls found some success toward the end of the season. After he was traded to and waived by the Orlando Magic, the Bulls picked up veteran guard Patrick Beverley. He started in 22 games for Chicago, and the Bulls went a solid 13-9 in those games. However, Beverley will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and could move on from the Bulls.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Beverley could be a potential “sleeper” target for the New York Knicks in free agency.
“If Beverley just rediscovers his touch from range—33.9 percent the past two seasons, 39.3 percent the six previous campaigns—he could be a tone-setting defender who won’t dominate the basketball and will convert a lot of the clean looks he gets.
“Considering there aren’t many touches to go around in an offense featuring Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, that could be a valuable skill set to have,” Buckley wrote.
Beverley’s counting stats have gotten worse and worse as he’s entered the twilight years of his career, but his impact remains undeniable.
For a Knicks team looking to make serious strides, bringing in a grizzled veteran leader to come off the bench could be a great plan, especially if Tom Thibodeau can use him well.