Patrick Beverley blames media narratives for NBA players signing underpaid contracts: "The way he plays got the payday he got"

Patrick Beverley has attributed narratives from the media for NBA players signing underpaid contracts.

On a recent episode of "The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone," Beverley spoke about the contract extension Russell Westbrook got from the Clippers and Dillon Brooks' deal with the Houston Rockets.

"I think that the media is the drive towards what players get," Beverly said. "The narrative of Westbrook, the way he plays got the payday he got, not his basketball skills.

"Now you got to ask the question as a basketball player, is it the work that's being put in? The numbers are there; the wins are there; you're in the playoffs, and your shooting percentage got better."

Westbrook signed a two-year $7.8 million deal to remain on the Clippers' roster after performing well in 21 games in the regular season and five in the postseason. Meanwhile, Brooks agreed a four-year $80 million contract with the Rockets after spending six seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.

From Beverley's perspective, he has no problem with NBA players getting paid well. However, he does find it interesting that a player like Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star who showed up in the 2023 playoffs, can't match a contract like the one Brooks got.

Beverley talked about how the media perceives a player, whether through a sports network or even in social media conversations, is the standard for how much an NBA player gets.

Russell Westbrook received the most harsh and unfair comments when playing for the LA Lakers. He never truly fit in with the team, as his playstyle didn't match what the Lakers were trying to do. Westbrook even accepted his role as a second-unit scorer as opposed to years of being a starting point guard.

In the 52 games he played for the Lakers in the 2022-23 regular season, Westbrook averaged 15.9 points per game (41.7% shooting, including 29.6% from 3-point range), 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds.

However, Westbrook ended up getting traded to the LA Clippers midway into the season, where he played like his old self. In 21 games for them, he averaged 15.8 ppg (48.9% shooting, including 35.6% from the 3-point range) and 7.6 assists. During the postseason, he averaged 23.6 ppg (41.0% shooting, including 35.7% from the 3-point range), 7.6 rpg and 7.4 apg against the Phoenix Suns.

Similarly, Dillon Brooks also received a lot of harsh comments and criticism last season. His numbers were low, as he averaged 14.3 ppg (39.6% shooting, including 32.6% from the 3-point range).

He was at his worst in the playoff series against the Lakers, posting an average of 10.5 ppg (31.2% shooting, including 23.8% from the 3-point range).

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After quality season with Bulls, Patrick Beverley finds himself with Philadelphia 76ers

Like Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverly was also not a proper fit with the Lakers. The team tried to turn him into a 3-point shooter at the corner spot, which Beverly shot decently last season at 34.8%. However Beverley has never been seen as a reliable knockdown shooter, as he thrives more as a defensive presence.

He got traded to the Chicago Bulls midway into the season and played 22 games. Beverley averaged 5.8 ppg (39.5% shooting, including 30.9% from the 3-point range) and 4.9 rpg.

Last offseason, he signed a one-year $3 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.