It is safe to say Patrick Beverley will always be beloved by the Minnesota Timberwolves fanbase. Playing just one season in the Twin Cities in 2021-22, Beverley injected his fiery attitude and inspiring play into the team and helped them reach the playoffs for just the second time in 18 seasons.
For basically the entire time Pat has been playing professional basketball, he has been the kind of guy you always love to have on your team, but hate to play against. Beverley brings his competitive spirit every single night, and he would likely be happy to take at least some of the credit for the Timberwolves turning into a Western Conference powerhouse over the course of the last three seasons.
Some Wolves fans have been hoping for a reunion with Beverley since the day he departed town in the Rudy Gobert trade in July 2022. Well, Pat recently discussed the prospect of returning to the NBA on his podcast on Wednesday.
The only reason the thought came to mind for Beverley is because there was a recent and significant change in his current team, Hapoel Tel Aviv, located in Israel. His squad's starting center, Jonathan Motley, has opted to leave the club for safety reasons.
PB has a lot to think about and decisions to make 🙏 @patbev21 pic.twitter.com/J3yUrUyfmv
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) November 6, 2024
Pat Bev may make a return to the NBA
"Our leading scorer, the best big man in EuroCup wants to go to a Euroleague team in Serbia," said Beverley. "So now we're just out here with no big man, just like, 'okay, where do we go from here?' " Pat says this situation led to people asking him what his plans were.
"Some NBA teams called, they told me I can't say who," Beverley said. "Euroleague teams called, Real Madrid called, a couple other Euroleague teams out there." This led to an internal dilemma for the former Minnesota guard, given his prior commitment.
Pat chose to compete with Hapoel in the first place specifically to play alongside Motley. But now that his star center is gone, Beverley says he would not feel right simply leaving his teammates in Israel high and dry. "I've been thinking a lot," he said. "What's the next move, what to do, what to not do. Do I go back to the NBA? If I go back to the NBA, do I turn my back on my teammates? That's not my style. I don't operate like that. I'm in it for the long run."
This is typical for a player as loyal and as dedicated as Pat Bev. Timberwolves fans could expect to see their beloved former guard back in the NBA before long, but likely not before he fulfills the commitment he gave to his teammates with Hapoel Tel Aviv.