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When we last saw Michael Beasley in the NBA, he was averaging 8.8 points per game in 24 games with the Miami Heat last season. He wound up signing with the Shandong Golden Stars in the Chinese Basketball Association last September, and after a good run there the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft is eyeing a return to the NBA.
ESPN’s Marc Stein has been on top of the story surrounding Beasley’s possible return.
A clutch of NBA teams, I’m told, are tracking Michael Beasley as he nears a return from China. Last seen in the… https://t.co/CcyR1hnVnn
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 23, 2016
ESPN sources say perennial Euro power Maccabi Tel Aviv tried to sign Michael Beasley but was told Beas is NBA-bound once China’s season ends
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 24, 2016
ESPN sources say that the Houston Rockets are closing in on a deal to sign Michael Beasley
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) March 2, 2016
Beasley would sign a deal with the Rockets for the rest of the season, and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has added that the contract would include a team option for next season.
Can confirm @ESPNSteinLine report. Rockets to sign Michael Beasley. deal for rest of season with team option for next season.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 2, 2016
The Rockets have an open roster spot after recently waiving point guard Ty Lawson, so signing Beasley would not require another move. The bigger question is how he fits into the team’s frontcourt mix right away, with Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer at small forward and a deep group at power forward that already looks like a logjam for playing time. Beasley does not seem to have a clear path to meaningful minutes on a regular basis for the Rockets, and playing time would be a driving force for his value in what should be an offense-first bench role.
Beasley is in no position to be picky in search of another opportunity in the NBA, and it’s possible the Rockets have simply emerged as the highest bidder. But if he wants to play a lot and revive his career in the United States, Houston does not look like the place for it to happen.
