Clippers gave up 10 first-round picks for Leonard, Beverley asks three times: Was it really worth it?

Former NBA player Patrick Beverley put the price the Clippers paid to acquire Leonard on the table during an episode of The Pat Bev Show: 10 first-round picks, as well as the possibility of being stuck in a rebuilding situation for the next decade. He repeatedly asked the same question: “Was all of this really worth it?”

From “extremely excited” to “the only one left was Leonard”

Beverley recalled that when the Clippers acquired Leonard and Paul George at the same time, he and Lou Williams were in Las Vegas. The two were “extremely excited,” believing their value had risen and that it was a real opportunity to compete for and win a championship. But things changed step by step afterward: Paul George was traded away, James Harden and Russell Westbrook came and went, Chris Paul was waived, and in the end the only one left was Leonard.

Beverley did not deny Leonard’s individual ability. He clearly said that a healthy Leonard is absolutely a phenomenal basketball player, with statistics comparable to Michael Jordan, and that there is no dispute about that. But the issue is that the Clippers gave up a total of 10 first-round picks for this, and could remain in a rebuilding phase for the next decade. Beverley said: “You just traded back for some things, got some picks back, and now you put all of that right back into it.”

“If someone got benefits privately”

Beverley shifted his perspective from the team level to players and fans. He said that as players, everyone sees these things. When talking with other players, he mentioned that if someone received benefits privately, that person not only took away from other players’ interests but also from the fans’ interests. As for what exactly happened between Leonard and the Clippers, Beverley said he did not know.

94 basketball courts and a “compensation” issue

During the show, Beverley also brought up a personal issue from the past. He said that during a meeting at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, Steve Ballmer looked him in the eyes and shook his hand, saying he would build 94 basketball courts for him across Los Angeles. Before the pandemic began, he had already built four courts in Los Angeles featuring the “94 Feet Man” logo, but everything was put on hold when the pandemic hit. Beverley said he is still seeking compensation related to this, and after seeing the Leonard situation, he felt, “No, I need to get back the compensation that belongs to me. That is what is fair.”

Throughout the statement, Beverley did not provide a definitive answer, but instead took the question “Was it really worth it?” from the team’s accounting decisions all the way to fan interests and his own unfinished basketball court compensation issue.