Timberwolves made the right call moving on from Patrick Beverley

In the last 10 months since the Minnesota Timberwolves traded away Patrick Beverley, the team’s roster and the organization as a whole have undergone massive changes. The team that pushed the Memphis Grizzlies to the brink of elimination in the playoffs in April 2022 now looks completely different.

The Timberwolves’ starting lineup now features mostly seasoned veterans rather than lively young talents. At times during the 2022-23 season, the Wolves missed the contributions from all their newly-departed players in one way or another. But the fan favorite in Minnesota was always the fiery Patrick Beverley.

Bringing a mojo that was infectious and a winning attitude that seems to translate wherever he goes, Pat Bev won the hearts of Timberwolves fans from day one. His name will always be connected with the charismatic 2021-22 Minnesota team. But in the end, it was probably a good thing that the organization decided to move on from him.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had greater aspirations than a first-round exit.

As much fun as the Timberwolves were to watch in 2021-22, that group had effectively hit their ceiling. At full health, they challenged a talented Grizzlies team, but could not get over the hump due to their deficiencies.

As such, Minnesota knew it needed to keep its core group of players intact while improving around the edges, and that is exactly what happened when they traded away Beverley. When the Wolves sent Pat to Utah in the deal for Gobert, it allowed Jaden McDaniels to assume the starting role in his place.

Ultimately, McDaniels’ budding talent was the easy choice for Minnesota going forward. They knew that putting a rising star next to Anthony Edwards in the starting lineup would give them a better chance than ever of being a true contender, and it could put them over the edge in a close playoff series like the one against the Grizzlies.

Beverley’s energetic leadership is certainly valuable, but the Timberwolves’ front office knew they had something greater waiting in the wings. Keeping Pat Bev around in the long term would have given them a vocal locker room leader and solid defender, but not much else. If Minnesota can avoid the injury bug next year, the fruits of their labor will truly begin to show.