NBA Rumors: LA Lakers veteran guards Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook 'publicly, brashly, truly' do not like each other

LA Lakers' newly acquired guard Patrick Beverley's equation with Russell Westbrook is no secret around the NBA. It has been widely speculated that Beverley's addition will drive Westbrook out of LA.

Desert News' Sarah Todd recently reported that the two players 'do not like each other.' Here's what Todd wrote regarding this (H/T Hoops Wire):

“Beverley makes things interesting because Westbrook and Beverley do not like each other. I don’t say that in a funny, ha-ha, fake way that other NBA players have had beef.

“This isn’t like (Rudy) Gobert and Hassan Whiteside who trash talked each other a few times and had some social media sparring only to then brush it all aside and become teammates. Westbrook and Beverley publicly, brashly, truly do not like one another. At all.”

Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook have been fierce rivals on the court and have always been in each other's faces. Their beef escalated off the court when Westbrook took shots at Beverley in an interview in 2019.

The former MVP claimed that Pat Bev had 'tricked' the league and that all he did was run around instead of playing defense.

"Pat Bev trick y'all man. ... He just running around, doing nothing"

Russell Westbrook and Pat Beverley are now teammates in L.A. 😬

(via @MarkBermanFox26)
https://t.co/fMERNm4L5m

Beverley reignited their beef during the 2021-22 NBA season. He took to Twitter to call out Westbrook for his underwhelming performances during the season, saying:

"I remember when somebody said all I do is run around and I trick y’all well my boy is The Real Magician this year."

I remember when somebody said all I do is run around and I trick y’all 😂 well my boy is The Real Magician this year.

Players don't take shots at each other that often off the court, especially if their comments could damage their reputation in the league. Most stars have supported their counterparts when they have been under heavy scrutiny, which was the case with Russell Westbrook last year.

However, Patrick Beverley's comments indicated the extent of his beef with his current teammate.

NBA Rumors: Russell Westbrook unlikely to play for LA Lakers again following Patrick Beverley's arrival

Patrick Beverley may replace Russell Westbrook as the LA Lakers' starting point guard next season. The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported that Beverley's arrival means Westbrook is unlikely to play for the Lakers again.

The arrival of Patrick Beverley could affect Russell Westbrook's future in LA.

Westbrook is more likely to be off the Lakers’ active roster by the start of training camp, a source close to the situation told @jovanbuha.

More from the Pat Bev trade ⤵️
theathletic.com/3537009/2022/0… https://t.co/k2cytBsY7g

Buha also mentioned that a source close to the situation said LA could send Westbrook home for the entire season. The Houston Rockets notably did the same with John Wall last season.

Either way, the LA Lakers are expected to take Westbrook off their active roster before training camp. The 17-time champions have continued to pursue trades centered around the former OKC Thunder guard.

One of the most frequently mentioned deals involves the Lakers bringing in Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers.

Expect the Lakers to re-visit this with the Pacers again. twitter.com/LegionHoopsRos…

If general manager Rob Pelinka can get the move done, the LA Lakers could once again become a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.

They will have the defensive prowess of Turner alongside Patrick Beverley, Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Additionally, the perimeter threat posed by Hield will also massively bolster their roster.