Is Patrick Beverley the missing piece for the Minnesota Timberwolves?

After leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a playoff appearance, could he be a catalyst in taking the Minnesota Timberwolves to an appearance of their own?

With the 2018-19 NBA season now officially over, the focus for most teams shifts to the 2019 NBA Draft as well as free agency. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, that is no different.

The Timberwolves disappointed last season, due to injuries and coaching changes. They were especially disappointing in areas such as free throw shooting, 3-point shooting, and defense. One of their weakest overall positions was at point guard.

These are all areas a player like Patrick Beverley could improve on. He is an experienced point guard who is an unrestricted free agent this summer and would be the perfect fit for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Beverley’s last contract was worth roughly $5 million to $6 million annually.  At that price, he would be a player who is not only a great asset but one which would fit in around the lack of cap space that Minnesota has.

By acquiring Beverley in free agency,  the Timberwolves would fill many of their voids. With a career free throw percentage of 77.0 percent, Beverley would add an element of composer and experience to a highly talented Timberwolves lineup. On top of that, Beverley averaged 7.6 points per game on 40.7 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from deep.

His 3-point shooting would be a massive upgrade considering the point guards on the roster last season were not great from deep. Derrick Rose shot 37.0 percent, Jeff Teague shot 33.3 percent, and Tyus Jones shot 31.7 percent from 3-point range.

Averaging 27.4 minutes per game on the court, Beverley proved he could be effective in limited minutes, averaging  5.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He is also extremely smart on the offensive end, with only 1.1 turnovers per game.

Not only is he a solid offensive player, but his defensive intensity allows him to be a dominant force on the other end of the floor as well. Beverley would be a great fit with the new look Timberwolves coaching staff in Ryan Saunders and David Vanterpool. With the amount of quality talent and potential young stars in Minnesota, Beverley would surely thrive and give the Timberwolves a much-needed push back into the playoff picture.

The biggest factor in signing him will be his market value. Struggling with limited cap space, the Timberwolves would likely be able to offer between $5 and $8 million for his services. If he were willing to sign another deal in this price range, he would be a perfect fit. However, in an offseason with a lot of money to be spent, he may get overpaid.

Beverley should definitely be a player that is at least considered by the Timberwolves as he would bring the experience into the locker room that will be much needed with the departure of several veterans from last season.

Whether the Minnesota Timberwolves could pull off a move for a great and experienced player like Patrick Beverley is yet to be determined. When free agency opens at the very end of June, things will start to get very interesting.