The Philadelphia 76ers are sending Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks for Cameron Payne and a 2027 second-round pick, Beverley himself confirmed before multiple reports emerged on what would be heading to Philadelphia. The deal sends Beverley to his sixth team in the past four seasons, but his fit in Milwaukee means he may have just found a longer-term home.
The Bucks desperately needed perimeter defense. They traded Jrue Holiday in the Damian Lillard blockbuster over the summer, and as a result, they've fallen to 18th on that end of the floor. They still have Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo protecting the rim, but without Holiday, they have no one to defend opposing stars. Former coach Adrian Griffin tried to use Malik Beasley to defend those players early in the year, but that was a borderline disaster.
While Beverley has lost a step at 35 years old, he's still a solid defender for the 76ers in around 20 minutes per game. As a career 37.1% 3-pointer, he won't hinder their offense in a low-usage role, either. Beverley played more minutes in the past, so he could feasibly be jumping into a much bigger role for the Bucks than he had in Philadelphia.
In that sense, it's a bit surprising to see the 76ers trade him to a team they might have to play in the playoffs. The likeliest explanation here is that, with Buddy Hield incoming, Philadelphia felt as though it didn't have minutes to offer Beverley anymore. That would be especially true if they land Kyle Lowry on a buyout as has been rumored. Strengthening a rival is always a risk, but if the 76ers improve enough on their own, they will hope that they can handle whatever the Bucks throw at them.
