Patrick Beverley doesn’t think Sixers’ front office wants to win a title this season

Patrick Beverley is far from shocked that the 76ers traded him.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ new backup point guard believes the Sixers’ front office doesn’t want to win a title this season.

And Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton looked good in his second game back from a spine injury.

Those are three things that came out of the Sixers’ 119-98 setback to the Bucks on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center. The loss dropped them to 33-24 and marked their 11th defeat in 15 games.

Beverley was far from impressive against the Sixers, finishing with three points on 1-for-5 shooting — all three-point attempts — to go with two assists, one steal and finishing minus-15 in 17 minutes, 45 seconds.

But …

“I was so excited,” he said of facing the Sixers for the first time since being traded on Feb. 8. “Obviously, I was here for a short period of time. But the fans, the city gave me a chance to be myself. Obviously, the organization allowed me to lead, allowed me to be the voice, the heart and soul of the locker room. You don’t forget things like that.”

» READ MORE: Sixers grades vs. the Bucks: Another solid Tyrese Maxey outing; Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris struggle

That’s why one would think Beverley would be shocked that the Sixers traded him. He was a mentor to the young players and a coach on the floor. He got on his teammates when needed. Beverley also instructed them where they needed to be on the floor. And he was there to pick them up after a bad play.

The 35-year-old, who signed a one-year minimum contract with the Sixers in July, had a lot of value.

“I was probably playing some of the best basketball I’ve played in my career,” he said. “So at the end of the day, that’s a business. You get a 35-year-old on a minimum. You can get a younger guy and a second-round pick for him. You can say, that’s a hell of a deal. I understand the business part of it.

“But I wasn’t shocked. Not in this league, definitely wasn’t shocked. I’m just happy they sent me here instead of Washington, D.C., or something.”

The Sixers acquired reserve point guard Cameron Payne, 29, and a 2027 second-rounder for Beverley.

There’s been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Sixers since Joel Embiid last played on Jan. 30. The reigning MVP, out with a meniscus injury in his left knee, isn’t expected to return until mid-to-late March after having surgery on Feb. 6.

“After Jo went down, that changed the look and makeup of the team,” Beverley said, “not knowing if he’s coming back.”

Beverley thinks that’s part of the reason he was traded to the Bucks (37-21), a championship contender, for value. He’s a defensive upgrade over Payne on a team that had struggled to make stops.

» READ MORE: Sixers cannot deal with the Bucks’ firepower in a 119-98 loss

As a result, Beverley was asked if he thinks the Sixers’ management wants to win.

“For sure, obviously,” he said. “But I think they’re looking to the future, not now, which is how you have to look in this league, especially with the team makeup. A bunch of guys, a bunch of free agents coming up next year. So we understand it.”

Embiid and Paul Reed are the only Sixers under contract beyond this season. The Sixers always intended to have enough salary-cap space available to sign Tyrese Maxey and an A-list free agent to lucrative contracts.

Sunday marked Melton’s second game back after being sidelined for the previous 18. He finished with 16 points while making 4 of 8 three-pointers. Melton also had three assists and two steals in 18:29. This comes after he had seven points and one assist in Friday’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I think the biggest thing for me was just the conditioning part,” Melton said of the difference from Friday night. “I felt way more in shape this game, so it just allowed me to do way more on the court. So, I just got to keep working through it and keep getting better.”