It's all but official at this point: Pat Beverley is gunning for an NBA comeback. That's according to the former Buck himself, who says it's "definitely" happening this coming season after he spent the past year or so playing in Israel. He's already teased a possible return in the past, but this time, he sounds much more committed to the idea.
"Looking at all options as we speak. [We're definitely] going back to [the] NBA next season," Beverley posted on his X account, responding to a fan asking him about a possible return.
With Damian Lillard expected to miss extended time, Kevin Porter Jr. still unsigned, and undrafted signing Mark Sears far from ready to run an NBA offense, the Bucks are bleeding ballhandlers after failing to draft one when they could have. They don’t need flash. They need function and form in spades, and they need those things as soon as possible.
His time in Wisconsin was rather short-lived, but it was certainly not unproductive. And it's why the team should at the very least consider him.
Pat Beverley is rearing to go back to the NBA, and the Bucks should be first in line
Pat Bev first endeared himself to Bucks fans in the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. After being traded to Milwaukee midseason, he hit the ground running and immediately stepped into limited (but fruitful) rotation minutes, bringing energy and defense to a team that badly needed bite. Fans called him "Evil Jrue" for his dogged, passionate approach to defense.
That series, he put up 8.2 points, 5.5 assists, 3.3 boards, and a steal per game while keeping the Bucks afloat on the defensive side of the ball. He fit into the locker room seamlessly, embraced his role, and provided the kind of veteran toughness that actually translated on the court and not just in postgame quotes.
At age 36, Beverley likely won't be the same player, but the Bucks don't necessarily need someone to take up major point guard responsibilities and play 34 minutes a night.
What they do need, though, is to patch a glaring hole in a backcourt that currently consists of zero fully healthy, starting-caliber point guards. The Bucks will likely have trouble landing a higher-end guard, especially with the likes of D’Angelo Russell still weighing other options.
Even if Milwaukee finds its ideal starter for the lone Damian Lillard-less season, whether that’s Kevin Porter Jr., Malcolm Brogdon, Russell, they’ll still need a competent backup. Beverley can run pick-and-roll, initiate offense, and still defend out of his position. That’s more than you can say about most vets available for the minimum.
The reason to bring him back now isn’t familiarity. It’s not even (just) desperation. It's function. Milwaukee is a win-now team with a fragile cap sheet, aging stars, and no proven lead guards to hold things down in October and November. Beverley isn’t a luxury by any means, but he’s a floor-raiser. The Bucks need minutes, defense, mentorship, and competence. Beverley can still give them all three.
It's the most obvious decision in the world: the former fan favorite wants back in, and the Bucks need help. There’s no long-term commitment here, no high-dollar risk. Just a plug-and-play veteran the franchise already knows, trusts, and can actually use.
Now it's entirely possible (and probable) that Beverley's best years are behind him. There's a reason he couldn't find a home the year he went to Israel, after all. It's also true that signing him would be another desperate attempt at signing a washed veteran to solve their problems. But if it happens, they're not signing him to win -- they're doing it to survive.
Beverley may not be a long-term answer, but he offers exactly what Milwaukee needs in the short term: defensive toughness, veteran savvy, and functional playmaking at the league minimum. For a team trying to stay afloat without Damian Lillard, that should be enough, at least for now.
The perfect option may come in time as free agency commences. But for now, the obvious one is already calling.