The moment news broke that the Milwaukee Bucks had traded for Patrick Beverley, you just knew that new head coach Doc Rivers must have had a hand in the acquisition of his former player. True enough, this appears to be the case.
Bucks general manager Jon Horst has now spoken out about Rivers’ involvement in the Pat Bev trade, and the high-ranking executive has confirmed that Coach Doc played a key role in the trade process.
Doc Rivers’ Role in Milwaukee Bucks’ Patrick Beverley Trade, Revealed
According to Horst, Rivers was heavily involved in the decision process. Horst and Rivers have spent a lot of time discussing the team’s plans for the future and apparently, bringing in Pat Bev fits perfectly with their new blueprint:
“Very involved. You guys know how I like to work. (I) value his opinion and need his opinion and his partnership in this. I think he feels it already and has experienced it,” Horst said of Rivers, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “We were together on most of the last road trip before I broke off (from the trip). We had a lot of time to talk about the roster, talk about things that were presenting themselves, things that we were discussing and evaluating. (We) shared our process and our information with him in the way that we always have and always will, and so very involved.
“He was incredibly impactful in helping (me) and the staff navigate this. Ultimately, I always feel like it’s our job to build a roster that can play and compete at its best in the way that the coach wants. He’s the one that has to coach them and really try to maximize what they do. Pat Bev is someone that together we thought could help us.”
Beverley himself has already confirmed that he has a deep and long-standing relationship with Rivers, so it would not be surprising if Coach Doc was also involved in the recruitment process as well. If anything, Beverley’s willingness to join the Bucks was surely influenced by the fact that Rivers was not sitting at the helm.
It only follows that Pat Bev is going to play a crucial role under Rivers’ regime as the Bucks look to win it all this season.
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