Bucks lose key playoff starter to unexpected team as final roster spot remains open

The Milwaukee Bucks' summer rebuild continues as Patrick Beverley is set to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC in the Israeli Premier League. It was announced on the official Pat Bev Pod X account that he will be leaving the NBA after Hapoel "gave me everything I asked for... I couldn't refuse."

The 36-year-old guard teamed up with Doc Rivers again in Milwaukee this season, having been acquired for Cameron Payne and a 2027 second-round pick back in February. Beverley played 26 regular season games with the Bucks before moving into the starting shooting guard role prior to the playoffs and started all six of their games against the Indiana Pacers.

Bucks lose a key playoff starter

His defense was stellar throughout his short time with the Bucks, and he formed a nice partnership with Bobby Portis off the bench. It was partially thanks to Beverley and Rivers' schematic changes that the Bucks' defense improved greatly in the latter stages of the season.

In the 26 regular season games, he averaged six points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.7 steals in 21 minutes on the court. He shot efficiently, too, with splits of .391/.361/.852. The playoffs saw an uptick in minutes to 35 per game, and his Game 5 performance against the Pacers consisted of 13 points and 12 assists in what was a great win, even without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Beverley entered the NBA in 2012 with the Houston Rockets, and after a 12-year career in the league it may be coming to an end. His final moment is not the finest, with him getting into an altercation with a Pacers fan in Game 6, in which Beverley threw a ball at the fan.

Now, the Bucks have one roster spot remaining and rumors are flying around, mainly with Gary Trent Jr. top of the list to be of interest to the front office. The Athletic's Shams Charania (subscription required) reported that the Bucks are holding a workout this week in Las Vegas with Will Barton among those being looked at to take the shooting guard spot.

It is an intriguing time to be a Bucks fan, with the roster getting younger and rumors circling about that final roster spot and potentially a trade occurring soon. They have a shooting guard spot to fill now with Beverley going to Israel, and the front office seem to be making moves to do so.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis and news this offseason.