Veteran forward Michael Beasley will not join the Brooklyn Nets in the Orlando bubble at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World Resort after testing positive for coronavirus, as first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 31-year-old left the bubble on Tuesday where it was reported shortly after that he tested positive for COVID-19.
Beasley signed with the Nets on July 9 to fill one of the roster spots left open within a decimated Brooklyn roster that was ransacked by injuries and the virus.
Kevin Durant (Achilles), Kyrie Irving (shoulder surgery), and Nic Claxton (shoulder surgery) were ruled out of the NBA’s Orlando restart later this month as they continue their respective recoveries while Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, and Taurean Prince tested positive for COVID-19.
To fill some of their empty roster spots, the Nets recently signed veterans Jamal Crawford, Lance Thomas, and Tyler Johnson along with rookie Donta Hall.
Beasley was the highly-touted No. 2 overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, but off-court issues stymied his development into stardom, though he has become a solid rotational player on multiple teams.
The drastically-altered Nets will try to secure one of the last playoff spots in the Eastern Conference beginning on July 31 against the Orlando Magic. Brooklyn holds a half-game lead over Orlando for the No. 7 playoff spot in the conference while the Washington Wizards are six games behind with eight regular-season games remaining to decipher the final postseason standings.
