The Nets are poised to continue bringing in help to their Orlando bubble as they are reportedly nearing a deal with veteran forward Michael Beasley.
His expected signing comes shortly after the Nets were able to bring on noted veteran guard Jamal Crawford, whose scoring ability helps cushion the blow of losing Spencer Dinwiddie — Brooklyn’s start guard who recently tested positive for coronavirus.
With two open roster spots still to fill after agreeing to terms with the 40-year-old Crawford, Beasley will provide another established name to add to the Nets’ ranks.
The 31-year-old was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft coming out of Kansas State where he was placed on the same pedestal as that year’s first pick, Derrick Rose.
His athleticism and skillset had the promise of stardom in the NBA, but issues off the court helped derail his ascension, which included a 2010-11 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves in which he averaged 19.2 points per game.
Run-ins with the law, however, ensured he could not stay too long in one place, playing for three teams in his first five NBA seasons.
He experienced resurgences with the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks respectively in 2015-16 and 2017-18. In New York, he averaged 13.2 points per game over 74 appearances — his best season since that 2010-11 campaign with Minnesota.
Beasley appeared in just 26 games last season with the Los Angeles Lakers after missing time to be with his sick mother. After being dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers mid-season, he was waived two days later.
Last summer, he was suspended for five games for violating the league’s anti-drug policy but because he hasn’t signed with a team since, he would likely have to miss five of the eight regular-season games in Orlando.
