Two contending teams in the Eastern Conference traded reserve guards in a deal leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline. The Milwaukee Bucks are sending Cam Payne and a 2027 second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Patrick Beverley. Both players were consistent bench options for their previous teams, and will now likely have a chance to carve an even larger role with their new squads.
Payne joined Milwaukee this offseason after enjoying a renaissance with the Suns over the previous four years. He’s a bit of a spark plug who is capable of filling up the stat sheet on any given night. Payne is shooting just under 40-percent from three this season and is averaging 4.0 APG in just 19.3 MPG over the last three seasons. The addition of Payne and the recently acquired Buddy Hield gives the 76ers a bit more firepower offensively as they attempt to navigate the next stretch of the season without injured superstar Joel Embiid.
For the Bucks, this was a matter of bolstering one of the league’s weaker defenses. Beverley is a three-time All-NBA Defensive recipient. In essence, he is a pest on that end of the floor. He gives the Bucks a solid point-of-attack option for those playoff matchups against teams with potent guards. Beverley’s ability to impact a game without the basketball makes him an ideal fit next to talents like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
It’s worth noting the deal was announced by Beverley himself. Minutes before any of the major outlets got wind of the deal, Beverley’s social media account broke the news on X that he was being sent to Milwaukee. Players breaking their deals is not an entirely foreign concept. We see it happen during free agency all the time. However, Beverley leaking a trade was certainly a jaw-dropping moment. It just goes to show that the NBA Trade Deadline is completely unpredictable.
