The Sixers have been pretty quiet during free agency so far. Obviously, there is the whole James Harden re-sign and trade situation being worked on. However, in terms of tangible moves, there just hasn't been a lot going down in the City of Brotherly Love. At the time of writing (July 5), their sole addition has been veteran Patrick Beverley. The Sixers agreed to a one-year contract worth $3.1 million with the 34-year-old.
Beverley began the 2022-23 campaign on the Lakers before a midseason trade sent him to the Bulls. He averaged 6.2 points and 3 defensive rebounds a game across 62 starts. Many people think he is a good fit for the Sixers, where he will play behind whoever the starting point guard is. Currently, that's Harden but if he leaves, the Sixers will likely either roll with Beverley or look to swing a big name in return. However, Beverley recently opened up about just what exactly brought him to Philly.
Doc Rivers Brought Beverley To Philly
The Sixers parted ways with coach Doc Rivers after the 2022-23 season after he failed to get them past the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Despite this, Rivers was the one who would end up landing them Beverley. Speaking on The Pat Bev Show, Beverley said he called up Rivers, who he views as "damn near a father figure", for advice.
“I might go to Philly. Obviously, you was there. How'd you like the situation?” Beverley said that he asked Rivers. “This is a Hall of Fame coach that just got fired. His response, exact words: ‘I love Philadelphia for you. They need you. You will be great with Joel, James — he respects you, you would be great with him. If I had you last season, we would’ve been a different team.’” Beverley would have likely given the Sixers some much-needed defensive oomph last season. However, it's doubtful that he would have completely revamped the team. He was 113th in drpg, 69th in bpg, and 97th in defensive win shares. However, hopefully Nick Nurse will find a way to utilize the veteran thanks to Doc Rivers.
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