Michael Beasley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Harris, Davis, Nets, Hezonja

July 2nd, 2018 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Before he agreed to a two-year, $16MM deal with the Nets, free agent sharpshooter Joe Harris fielded competitive offers from rival suitors. However, he tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic that his priority was remaining in Brooklyn.

“I had some offers for longer-term deals, but ultimately from the get-go, I had basically said that I wanted to stay in Brooklyn and however we could come to an agreement on that,” Harris said.

Meanwhile, the Nets’ other noteworthy July 1 move involved reaching a contract agreement with Ed Davis, who will ink a one-year, $4.4MM contract with the club. According to Scotto, Davis received interest from the Warriors, Sixers, Thunder, and Trail Blazers before striking a deal with the Nets.

Here are a few more notes on the NBA’s two New York teams:

The Nets are not actively shopping anyone on their roster in trade talks, a league source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That includes Jeremy Lin, who has a $12.5MM expiring contract in 2018/19 and will be part of a point guard rotation that also includes Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell.
Within his report on Mario Hezonja‘s agreement with the Knicks, Marc Berman of The New York Post notes that the forward chose New York over seven other teams, including the runner-up Trail Blazers. “The main reason is David Fizdale. He sold him,” a source told Berman. “The goal is to be here long term and finish his career. He was a fan of the team growing up.” Hezonja’s deal significantly reduces the odds of Michael Beasley returning to the Knicks, Berman adds.
Nets restricted free agent Milton Doyle has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and an Eastern Conference team, among others, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). A two-way player last year, Doyle could sign an offer sheet with another club, but Brooklyn would have the chance to match it.

Knicks Make Offer To Mario Hezonja

July 1st, 2018 at 12:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:50pm: The Knicks have an offer on the table for Hezonja, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports that the one-year deal would be worth a portion of the team’s mid-level exception. While Hezonja is considering the offer, he had been seeking a multiyear contract.

If Hezonja ultimately accepts the Knicks’ proposal, it would signal the end of Michael Beasley‘s time in New York, Berman adds.

8:25am: The Knicks appear to the early favorites to sign free agent forward Mario Hezonja, tweets ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Several league executives told Begley that Hezonja sees New York as his best option, However, the Knicks are only handing out one-year deals to preserve their 2019 cap space, so another organization could trump that with a longer offer. The Kings are among the teams with interest in Hezonja (Twitter link).

The Croation forward had a disappointing three years in Orlando after being the fifth player taken in the 2015 draft. However, he’s coming off his best season, averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds and starting 30 of the 75 games that he played.

Free Agent Rumors: Knicks, Beasley, Lauvergne

June 29th, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

While the Knicks don’t plan on offering any contracts with second-year guarantees, they’re unlikely to sit out free agency entirely. As Marc Berman of The New York Post details, the club is exploring the possibility of re-signing Michael Beasley or adding another veteran forward.

According to Berman, Anthony Tolliver is a potential target for the Knicks, who may want to use their mid-level exception on a “high-character veteran.” Berman identifies Jeff Green, Ersan Ilyasova, and Luc Mbah a Moute as other options within the New York’s price range.

[RELATED: Top 50 NBA Free Agents Of 2018]

As for Beasley, while a return to the Knicks is possible, sources tell Berman that the Trail Blazers, Hawks, and Bucks are among the other teams that could have interest. The Warriors have also internally discussed the possibility of offering Beasley a minimum-salary deal, but it doesn’t look like they’ll do so, Berman adds.

Here are more notes and rumors on free agency from around the NBA:

Spurs big man Joffrey Lauvergne is leaning toward declining his player option and becoming a free agent, reports Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. If Lauvergne opts out, he may head to Europe, where he’d be in line for a larger role — Fenerbahce (Turkey) and CSKA Moscow (Russia) are two teams with apparent interest, per Cauchi.
Within a league-wide look at each team’s priorities in free agency, Michael Scotto of The Athletic reports that the Nets are in the market for a stretch four this offseason.
Former lottery pick Anthony Randolph, who played in the NBA from 2008 to 2014, is a candidate to return to the league, says Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Randolph has played in Russia and Spain over the last few seasons, but a source tells Deveney that the forward/center is receiving interest from multiple NBA teams. For now, Randolph remains under contract with Real Madrid, but a jump back to the NBA is possible.
Aaron Harrison, eligible for restricted free agency with the Mavericks, has committed to joining the Wizards‘ Summer League team, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Dallas tendered qualifying offers to a few other RFA-eligible players this week, but it seems Harrison isn’t in the team’s plans. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.

Hawks, Suns Interested In Michael Beasley?

May 29th, 2018 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

3:24pm: John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 disputes the notion that the Suns have any interest in a reunion with Beasley, tweeting that the report is just a case of an agent pushing his client.

8:23am: As Michael Beasley‘s one-year contract with the Knicks nears its expiration date, multiple teams are believed to be eyeing the veteran forward, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. A source tells Berman that the Hawks and Suns have interest in Beasley, who is expected to be pursued by at least five teams when he reaches free agency in July.

Beasley, 29, enjoyed one of his most productive NBA seasons in 2017/18, averaging 13.2 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 74 games (30 starts) for the Knicks. His .507 FG% and .395 3PT% were also well above his career rates.

According to Berman, Beasley is a fan of new Knicks head coach David Fizdale, whose time as an assistant in Miami overlapped with Beasley’s stint with the Heat. However, New York only has Non-Bird rights on the former second overall pick, limiting the team’s ability to offer him a raise — the Knicks would likely have to use their mid-level exception to sign Beasley.

“He definitely wants to come back to New York and play for Fizdale,” a source close to Beasley told Berman. “Fizdale is another plus. But it’s still a business.”

A source suggests to Berman that if the Knicks were to offer Beasley their full MLE, even for just one year, it “may be satisfactory.” I’d be pretty surprised if Beasley – who remains a defensive liability – receives a salary exceeding $8MM, but a one-year contract along those lines could make some sense for the Knicks, who will be without Kristaps Porzingis in the frontcourt to start the 2018/19 season.

New York isn’t expected to pursue top free agents this summer, and re-signing Beasley to a one-year deal would allow him to gain Early Bird rights for the summer of 2019. That would allow the club to make a longer-term decision on him a year from now, when the front office will have a clearer sense of how its cap room should be used.

Still, with the Hawks and Suns among the teams expected to kick the tires on Beasley this summer, and no guarantee that the Knicks won’t use their MLE on another player (or players), a return to New York is far from a lock.

Knicks Notes: Coaching Change, Noah, O’Quinn, Beasley

April 12th, 2018 at 7:53pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks made the decision to fire head coach Jeff Hornacek and now the team enters the offseason with a huge vacancy and droves of roster questions. Hours after dismissing Hornacek — and assistant coach Kurt Rambis — president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry explained their decision and outlined their offseason plans, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News relays.

Mills and Perry were honest in their assessment of Hornacek, noting the team wants to see an improvement in communication between the coaches and players.

“The evaluation of Jeff went over the 82 games. We evaluated everything — from practices to games to ability to connect with guys,” Mills said.” I think we need to be better in that area. I think there can be some improvement. It all doesn’t lay at Jeff’s feet, either. But I think that’s something that we could be better at as an organization, and that’s one of the expectations that we have obviously with our next coach, and we have for ourselves as well.”

Below are some more notes from the Mills and Perry end-of-season presser:

There is no timetable to name a new head coach, but Perry said the team would do the work necessary to find the right replacement. “It’s a very competitive market out there,” he said. “We’re going to do our due diligence and take the time necessary to find the right guy that we feel to take us on a long journey, hopefully.”
While Joakim Noah remains on a leave from the team, Perry said the team will revisit the situation to see if a return makes sense. “We’ll go and visit the Joakim situation again as we go through the offseason. We won’t take any options off the table for that matter,” Perry said.
Both Kyle O’Quinn and Michael Beasley, two of the Knicks’ standout players this past season, are set to hit free agency. Perry confirmed the organization’s intention to discuss a reunion with both. “We’re going to visit all that. Obviously, Kyle O’Quinn had a tremendous, tremendous year for us this year. Played very hard,” Perry said. “He’s a New Yorker. Represents a lot about what we want to stand for. So we’d like to bring him back. Obviously we’ll be in contact and visitation with Michael Beasley’s camp to see where that takes us.”

Eastern Rumors: Beasley, Embiid, Oubre, Tolliver

April 2nd, 2018 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Journeyman forward Michael Beasley would like to return to the Knicks, but several factors play into that equation, as Marc Berman of the New York Post examines. Beasley returns to the free agent market this summer and has expressed a desire to stay put. “I would love to be back definitely. A lot goes into that,” he told Berman. “We’ll assess the situation in summertime.” The Knicks would likely have to use a portion of their mid-level exception to retain him. However, they could opt to spend it on a younger player or save cap space for the following summer, Berman continues. Their desire to re-sign Beasley also hinges on who will be coaching the team next season, Berman adds.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers’ playoff appearance will likely be a one-and-done experience if Joel Embiid can’t return for the first round, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The center’s participation is uncertain due to a concussion and a fractured orbital bone near his left eye. The Sixers have outscored opponents by 11.6 points per possession when he plays and outscored by 3.9 points when he doesn’t play, Pompey notes. The team doesn’t have anyone to match up with the Pacers’ mobile center, Myles Turner, if they face Indiana in the first round without Embiid, Pompey adds.
Kelly Oubre has been buried in a shooting slump but his subpar defense is the thing that could reduce the Wizards forward’s playing time, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. Coach Scott Brooks criticized Oubre’s defense following a loss to the lottery-bound Bulls on Sunday. “He hasn’t shot the ball well, but I’m more concerned about him getting blown by on defense,” Brooks told Buckner and other media members. “Seems like every time his man is scoring on him. He has to step up and start playing some defense if he wants to continue to play.”
Pistons veteran power forward Anthony Tolliver has added elements to his game this season, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. “It’s really amazing the way he has been able to improve, particularly offensively,”coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Now when people close out on him, he can put the ball on the floor and attack. Not too many guys improve after 30.” Tolliver returns to the free agent market in July after signing a one-year deal with Detroit last summer.
Magic lottery pick Jonathan Isaac is gaining confidence in his 3-point shooting, George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Isaac attempted a season-high six attempts from long range against the Hawks on Sunday and made half of them. “Throughout the entire season they’ve been telling me let it fly, especially from the corner 3.” Isaac told Diaz.

Knicks Notes: Hernangomez, Beasley, Point Guards

March 17th, 2018 at 10:55am CST by marksuleymanov

Entering the 2017/18 season, Willy Hernangomez seemed to be the exact type of the player the Knicks wanted on their roster. A talented, young and cheap big man who needed more work but had tremendous upside. Instead, he fell out of the rotation and was sent to Charlotte before the trade deadline.

Hernangomez will return to New York on Saturday, this time as a member of the Hornets. The Spaniard has found even less playing time in Charlotte, seeing the court less than five minutes per game. Former teammate Enes Kanter spoke glowingly of Hernangomez and his potential, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

“I still talk to him,’’ Kanter said. “He’s doing an unbelievable job working out and an unbelievable job of working on his body. I think he’s a young version of Marc Gasol. If he works hard enough, he can be as a good as Marc Gasol.”

The 23-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 72 games for the Knicks last season but his numbers have dropped to 3.5 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 35 games split with New York and Charlotte.

Check out more Knicks notes below:

Leo Sepkowitz of SLAM Magazine profiled Knicks swingman Michael Beasley, who had one of his best games of the season, posting 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists in a loss to the Sixers. Beasley has carried a reputation as a potential liability due to his off-court exploits earlier in his career. However, Beasley tells Sepkowitz he hopes the reputation is changing.
The Knicks could be on the verge of shaking up their point guard situation, Berman writes in a separate story. Deadline acquisition Emmanuel Mudiay has struggled as the starting point guard since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Jarrett Jack has not played one minute since the break and Trey Burke — who has not started a game yet — has continued his strong performance. “Kind of everything is on the table,’’ head coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Knicks Notes: Beasley, Hardaway, Porzingis, Hornacek

March 10th, 2018 at 9:17am CST by marksuleymanov

Michael Beasley has carried an off-the-court reputation that outweighs his on-court NBA career but he seems to have found a niche with the Knicks. ESPN’s Ian Begley profiled the eccentric former second overall pick, whose personality and performance have become a favorite with his teammates.

Beasley wanted to prove himself so badly this offseason, he left $10MM in guaranteed money from a Chinese basketball team to accept a one-year, $2.1MM deal with the Knicks.

“Yeah, I want a lot of [money]. But I want to prove that I’m the best. The ball will tell you who the best players are, not the contracts, not the media,” Beasley said.

Everyone from childhood friend Kevin Durant to Knicks general manager Scott Perry to opposing coaches speaks glowingly of Beasley and his scoring ability. Conversely, his former and current teammates describe a fun and quirky — sometimes misunderstood — player who memorizes phone numbers and wears wristwatches on his ankle.

“He spends a majority of his time talking to his kids on the phone. He’s a good dude,” Knicks guard Courtney Lee said. “He gets a reputation from stuff that happened in the past, and it still follows him to this day. But he’s not that guy that everybody perceives him to be.”

Check out other Knicks news and notes below:

Tim Hardaway Jr. took one step closer to immortality earlier this season when Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo jumped over him for a posterizing dunk. The Bucks started selling a shirt of the dunk and Hardaway is ready to move on from the moment, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “That’s back in the past,’’ Hardaway said. “We’re moving on.’’
Bucks forward Jabari Parker has suffered a torn ACL twice in his career and he offered up some words of advice to Knicks superstar Kristaps Porzingis, Berman writes in a separate story. “For himself, to think about his journey, think about who he is and not thinking about comparisons and looking far outside what’s out of his control,’’ Parker said. “Because then you face doubt on top of the doubt you face with yourself. You never want to seek outside advice for either your confidence or your doubt. I want him to stay in tune, taking it real slow and try to train his body to push himself forward.’’
Head coach Jeff Hornacek addressed the NBA’s recent warning to the Bulls about purposely tanking this season. Hornacek said there is a difference between purposely losing and analyzing the current roster, Berman writes. “There’s a difference between tanking and trying to look at the future,’’ Hornacek said. “And we made trades to bring these guys in. We brought Trey in from the G-League and Emmanuel from another team. That’s a totally separate thought process. We’re seeing if they can play for us.’’

Knicks Notes: Hornacek, Kanter, Beasley

March 6th, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks missed the playoffs last season and are currently 10 games back of the final seed in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Jeff Hornacek is under contract for one more season beyond 2017/18. There has been speculation he will be replaced after the season, but Hornacek expects to be back, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes.

“I still have next year so unless they tell me something different,” Hornacek said.

New York has started well in both seasons with Hornacek at the helm, but injuries have decimated the team. The Knicks also suffered a major blow last month when franchise linchpin Kristaps Porzingis went down with a season-ending torn ACL. The team has focused on playing youngsters Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Trey Burke.

“Going into when we get KP back and our draft pick, and maybe free agency, we can be in better shape next year,” Hornacek added.

Check out other Knicks news and notes below:

Enes Kanter has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing year for the Knicks. He has openly discussed his preference to stay in New York after the season, which he reiterated on Tuesday, Chris Iseman of The Record writes. “I think after I came it was an amazing because everybody opened their arms,” Kanter said. “They welcomed me. The organization and everything was so nice and amazing. I just feel so comfortable.”
The season-ending injury to Porzingis allowed Michael Beasley to enter the starting lineup as the Knicks’ power forward. However, Beasley has averaged just 7.4 PPG since the All-Star break and could see himself fall out of the lineup, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “Being a four, I got to wait for people to get me involved and things like that,’’ Beasley said. “So that’s tough. But I do it.’’

Michael Beasley’s Journey Sets Him Up For The Future

March 2nd, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Michael Beasley hasn’t lived up to the expectations of a No. 2 overall pick, but it looks like he’s finally found a way to translate his talent to the NBA. He’s found success with the Knicks this season and one league executive isn’t surprised that Beasley turned it around.

“You could see a difference in him once he got back from China,” the executive told Hoops Rumors. “He’s putting it all together.”

Being in a place where it’s difficult to communicate with most people due to a language barrier can direct one’s focus on themselves, and it appears that’s what happened with Beasley. “The talent was always there and experiences like [the China stints] can bring the change needed to progress,” the executive added.

The Kansas State standout spent two seasons abroad and his offense shined. He won the Chinese Basketball Association’s All-Star MVP in each campaign.

Beasley signed a one-year deal with New York over the summer and his play in the Big Apple shows he can make an impact in the league. He’s averaging 21.6 points per 36 minutes and shooting 40.7% from behind the arc this season, though when he becomes a free agent this summer, he’s going to prioritize more than just offensive opportunity.

“[I’m] not satisfied. Like I can score, but that’s not like my main focus. Like I want the opportunity. I want someone, a coach, an organization to believe in me to the point where I can win games,” Beasley recently told Chris Haynes of ESPN.com.

The 29-year-old credits his international experience for his new way of thinking on the court.

“My thing is I don’t want to just score, I want to make players better. And I didn’t even know that about myself until I went to China the first time,” Beasley said. “It became fun to see my teammates’ reaction to things that they didn’t even think that they could do. You know? And to me, that’s like the fun of it. When we all playing the right way, when we all making the right pass.”

“You know, and I’ve always wanted to be the guy, like the KD, the LeBron type to bring that aura and that atmosphere and those type of wins to the city. You know, so I’m still at a place to where I’m hungry.”

Beasley, who has been a fantasy darling, as I mentioned in a previous edition of Fantasy Hoops, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after making slightly over $1.47MM this season in New York. With the strides he has made, the former No. 2 pick could be looking at much more lucrative offers once the new league year begins, though that’s just my speculation.