Patrick Beverley seems interested in playing for the Bulls.
The 30-year-old guard will be a free agent this summer and told the Chicago Tribune he’d seriously consider signing with his hometown team.
“I am Chicago. I’m from Chicago. I bleed Chicago. I really think I can help the city. I think I can save the city,” Beverley said during a recent interview. “I inspire already. And I’d be a great inspiration just walking around the city of Chicago, knowing I’m from there, knowing that someone made it out and you can go and do the same.
“I’m a Chicago kid. So, of course, I’m open to playing for the Chicago Bulls if that’s a team that’s interested in me. At the same time, any decision that is made, it’s never personal. It’s always business. I have to make the right decision for me and my family.”
Beverley averaged 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 78 games for the Clippers this season. The lockdown defender spent the first five years of his career with the Rockets before he was sent to Los Angeles as part of the Chris Paul trade in June 2017.
“I feel like any team I’m on, I can help take that team to the playoffs,” Beverley said. “Just me, my attitude, what I bring defensively, my grit and grind, my ability to play make, rebound and make shots, the leader I am, I’m excited to see what door opens. If it’s a young team or older veteran team, I’m ready.
“This is my first time being an unrestricted free agent, so of course I’m super excited to go through the process, to be wooed, to see the hard work and everything I’ve been through to this point be rewarded. I’m just really happy and confident and excited with how this past season went. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
The Bulls finished 2018-19 with a 22-60 record and missed the playoffs for a second straight season. They hold the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, which is set for June 20, and are also looking to upgrade at point guard.
“There’s a growing belief around the league” Chicago is open to trading everyone on its roster except forwards Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., according to an earlier report from The Athletic.
