Poor Michael Beasley. Sure, the man has his faults and herbal demons, but he’s also had his share of bad luck. And no, being pulled over last year with 16 grams of marijuana isn’t bad luck- it’s bad planning. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/06/michael-beasley-cited-marijuana-speeding_n_891627.html
But still, having had the chance to watch Beasley under a microscope while he played in Miami with those pre-LeBron Heat teams (yes, there was a team in Miami before "The Decision," believe it or not), one thing was clear- the man was as naturally talented as they come. He has magnanimous, ambidextrous hands, a silky median-range jump shot, a surprisingly quick first step - basically all the physical tools a forward needs. The problem was, on a Heat team that takes pride on defense and professionalism, Beasley was as out of place as Will Smith in his first few years with the Banks family. "Goofy" and "laid-back" are two words that fairly described Beasley. They’d also never be used in the same sentence as "Heat culture." Beasley’s lack of defensive awareness and maturity combined with the fact that he played the same position as team captain Udonis Haslem, meant he never hit his stride in Miami. After being dealt in 2010 in what amounted to a salary dump, he found himself in the basketball wilderness known as Minnesota, forced to change position without a competent point guard in sight. Still, last year he was their second leading scorer (19 ppg) and played well. Unfortunately for Beasley, there’s a new coach in town and Adelman doesn’t appear to be sold on him. Combine that with Minnesota drafting Derrick Williams, another guy who shares his position, and it appears as though Beasley’s time in Minnesota may be coming to an end. With that in mind, let’s look at few trades that make sense for Minnesota, while also not being entirely unkind to Mr. Beasley....
