NBA fans troll Patrick Beverley for "The gang is back" tweet with D'Angelo Russell as their reunion lasts for only 17 hours at LA Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers v Indiana Pacers
LA Lakers guard Patrick Beverley

Patrick Beverley is currently on the receiving end of jokes as the NBA trade deadline came to a close Thursday. While he was excited to be reunited with a former teammate, it was short-lived.

One of the many moves made by the LA Lakers this deadline was bringing in D'Angelo Russell in a three-team deal on Wednesday. DLo and Beverley played together in Minnesota, which caused the veteran point guard to tweet about the "gang getting back together."

In the hours leading up to the trade deadline on Thursday, however, Beverley was on the move. Reports emerged that he has been traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Mo Bamba.

NBA fans troll Patrick Beverley after trade to Magic

Following the news of this deal, fans quickly went back to Beverley's tweet about D'Angelo Russell. As expected, they had their fun at his expense. Even before the trade happened, some were anticipating this being an all-time tweet as Beverley could have been moved at any moment.

Patrick Beverley likely to be bought out

Not only was Beverley on the move at the deadline, but he could be on another team in the near future. Shortly after the Magic acquired him, speculation began on if he will be a buyout candidate in the coming weeks.

Orlando is trending in the right direction as a team, but a player like Beverley is of little use to them. Having veterans is crucial for a young locker room, but he expects to be on a contender at this point in his career.

Another reason why Beverley will likely hit the market is because of his position. The Magic already have a logjam at guard, and keeping Beverley in the fold would only make things worse. Also, knowing his personality, Beverley also won't take well to playing sparingly or not at all.

With guards like Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs on the roster, the Magic need all the minutes they can get. It seems unlikely that they will slow down development on these guys to squeeze in a veteran.

Given these factors, it's fair to assume that Patrick Beverley will not be spending the rest of the season with the Magic. If he gets bought out, multiple contenders are sure to be interested in his services.

Even at this stage of his career, Beverley can help a team in its quest for a title. In 45 games with the Lakers this season, he averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

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Edited by Kevin McCormick