Patrick Beverley is making a pretty audacious move following his playoff performance with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Beverley said on his “Pat Bev Pod” that he wants to return to Milwaukee next season. However, he added that he felt he played well enough in the playoffs to earn “a little bump” in salary.
Pat Bev believes he deserves a pay raise in free agency this summer following his playoff performance
“I want to stay with Milwaukee. I want to see what goes here, but you know, I also played well enough in the playoffs to get a little bump, you know? That’s the business side of… pic.twitter.com/c3MR3EjnNz
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 14, 2024
“I want to stay with Milwaukee,” Beverley said. “I want to see what goes here, but you know, I also played well enough in the playoffs to get a little bump, you know? That’s the business side of it. So whatever happens with that happens.”
Beverley did play on a minimum contract this year, making $3.6 million on the deal he originally signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. From that standpoint, he may have an argument.
However, this is coming on the heels of him losing his cool and throwing a basketball at a Pacers fan, which earned him a suspension during next season.
Beverley remains a useful rotational piece that can provide veteran leadership and strong defense. Whether that is worth more than the minimum to the Bucks — or any other team — remains to be seen.
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Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic spent about a year together as Dallas Mavericks teammates, and that was more than enough time for Irving to collect some incredible practice stories about his former teammate. During a recent Twitch stream, Irving opened up about some of the things he saw Doncic do during Mavericks practices. He revealed that Doncic would put up absurd stat lines against his teammates, and once scored 24 points against someone in a three-minute span. “He’s giving you probably 60, 18, and 18,” Irving said. “I witnessed him give somebody 24 points in three minutes.” Based on Irving’s description, the big numbers feel like a fairly common occurrence. That might not quite be Caitlin Clark-levels of dominance, but it is pretty impressive all the same. There are some indications that Doncic is also starting to get his fitness in order. That might spell very bad news for opposing teams, and even opposing players in Los Angeles Lakers practices.
Shedeur Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns' equipment staff as the No. 4 quarterback this summer. He'll have a new opportunity following the troubling injury news for Kenny Pickett. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's practice and will not receive reps until his issue is re-evaluated. "Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week, per sources," Schefter posted on X. "Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett's injury will shake up the quarterback race in Cleveland. Through OTAs and early in training camp, Sanders has been the odd man out as the only signal caller on the roster not to receive reps with the first-team offense. It's unclear if the Browns coaching staff intends to give Sanders reps with the first-team offense now that Pickett is sidelined, but the fifth-round pick will have more chances this week to prove that he deserves an opportunity to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are in a unique situation with their rookie quarterbacks. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was selected before Sanders, but the son of Deion Sanders fell to Day 3 of the draft for reasons other than talent. The majority of draft analysts had Sanders as a better-graded quarterback than Gabriel, and many thought the Colorado product would be taken in the first round. The Browns can use the injury as an excuse to give Sanders reps with the first team, and it's a task they need to take advantage of before the team names a starter. Sanders has the potential to be a starter in the league, and this week is pivotal for his rookie season in Cleveland.
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Major League Baseball's hottest team cooled down a bit over the weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers just lost their first series since Jul. 3, dropping two of three to the sneaky Miami Marlins. With the trade deadline looming, they'll now shift their focus to a series with the Chicago Cubs that will decide who leaves with sole possession of first place in the National League Central. This Cubs team is ferocious, and it's going to be a tough battle the rest of the way. The Brewers could certainly use one more big bat to tilt the scales in their favor - a bat very much like Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks, perhaps. One baseball writer believes that a major third base upgrade is on its way to Milwaukee. On Sunday, Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut predicted that Suárez would be traded to the Brewers by Thursday's deadline, giving Milwaukee a .904 OPS and 36 home runs to add to its lineup, which lacks power. "The New York Yankees took themselves out of the mix for Eugenio Suarez with the Ryan McMahon trade and the Seattle Mariners already made a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks for first baseman Josh Naylor. There are still a few viable suitors for Suarez, but those clubs also need to balance their needs for starting pitching," wrote Johnson. "Enter the Milwaukee Brewers. Suarez is perfect for a team that has the fifth-lowest OPS (.609) at third base this season. He’ll round out the Brewers’ lineup nicely, pairing with a deep pitching staff to help Milwaukee earn a playoff spot." Just because the Yankees and Mariners are somewhat less likely than they were a few days ago to nab Suárez doesn't mean the coast is clear. The Cubs themselves could be in on the two-time All-Star, as could the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros. Milwaukee has to be decisive in the next four days. If they think Suárez is the bat to put them over the top, they have to give up at least one high-caliber prospect, which is always tough to do for a player headed to free agency at the end of the year.
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