Michael Beasley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Beasley, Artis, Porzingis

August 19th, 2017 at 9:17am CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks made a sizable commitment to Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason, bringing the former Knick back home after inking him to a four-year, $71MM deal. While there’s a lot of apprehensions about Hardaway’s deal, Knicks’ assistant general manager and former guard Allan Houston cannot wait to see how the team’s draft pick from 2013 establishes himself, Thomas Lipe of the New York Post writes.

Speaking at Hofstra University with his youth program, Houston said the current version of Hardaway is more seasoned and talented than several years ago.

“I’m excited for [Hardaway],” Houston said. “When you’re 20 years old and you’re coming into this environment, everybody has to grow and everybody has to mature. He’s developed all the way around and he’s prepared himself for this. So he’s prepared for it.”

Houston himself is no stranger to large contracts with the Knicks as he signed a six-year, $100MM pact with the team in 2001. While Houston was more established at the time of his deal, he was also older and injuries prevented him from playing out the entirety of the contract. Hardaway, still just 25 years old, brings youth and upside to a rebuilding Knicks team. Houston feels that Hardaway can live up to expectations by not just strong on-court performance but strong off court work as well.

“The mindset I took is: you come in, you put your work in, you treat your whole being, your whole life, like you want to make the most out of it,” Houston said. “You want to be valuable, not in terms of money, but you want to be valuable to your family, your community, to the franchise. That’s where [Hardaway’s] mindset is.”

Read additional notes surrounding the Knicks below:

In a resounding interview with Marc Berman of the New York Post, free agent signing Michael Beasley referred to himself as a “walking bucket” who has not received the respect he deserves. The former second overall pick says he’s long past his prior marijuana suspension and said that people still dwelling on his past issues need to emulate him by growing up. For his career. Beasley has averaged 12.8 PPG and 4.7 RPG across nine NBA seasons with five different teams.
Just prior to signing with the Knicks, Jamel Artis spoke to Adam Zagoria of FanRag Sports. The former Pittsburgh forward expressed his excitement to join the New York squad and said his offensive skill set would mesh well with the current core.
A recent report indicated the Cavaliers‘ interest to acquire a budding young star in a trade for Kyrie Irving with Kristaps Porzingis topping the list. Fred Kerber of the New York Post cites league source who claim “no proposal exists” in which the Knicks part with Porzingis for Irving. Kerber adds that while the New Jersey native Irving would like a homecoming to New York, it will not come at the expense of the team’s Latvian standout.

And-Ones: Sellers, Superteams, Ayres

August 12th, 2017 at 9:08am CST by Austin Kent

After a quiet offseason, the Magic could be one of the league’s biggest sellers, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes. Other teams that could look to aggressively shop their assets include the Suns and Hawks.

Orlando’s front office was smart to lay low and gauge their own in-house talent, Kyler says, now they’ll look to start shaping their future with a number of notable trade chips ranging from Nikola Vucevic on a $12.3MM contract to D.J. Augustin ($7.3MM).

Phoenix, having stockpiled youth for years, could be in a similar boat, eager to unload contributing pieces to the highest bidder. While linked to Kyrie Irving for much of the past few weeks, the Suns won’t be afraid to shop players like Tyson Chandler or Eric Bledsoe around elsewhere if it means they can improve their standing as a franchise.

Kyler notes that the Hawks, fresh off of a summer that saw them part ways with Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard, could be in the market to deal. The club, he says, is in full-rebuild mode now after a year of half measures.

The Nuggets, Bulls and Lakers, Kyler says, could also be sellers over the course of the 2017/18 campaign.

There’s more from around the league.

Former NBA big man Jeff Ayres has signed a contract to play with Eskisehir Basket in Turkey, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports.
An ESPN Insider report penned by Kevin Pelton zeroes in on the league’s most recent transactions, suggesting that the Knicks‘ move to land Michael Beasley could reflect that the organization is bracing for a future without Carmelo Anthony.
The Superteam Era has hurt the chances small market teams have to compete and there’s no sign that it will end any time soon, Chris Mannix of The Vertical writes. So long as players are willing to forego max money in order to sign with other stars, there’s little the league can do to curb it.

Ty Lawson, Donatas Motiejunas To Play In China

August 9th, 2017 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 9: Shandong’s deals with Lawson and Motiejunas are now official, according to Pick (Twitter link), who adds that Motiejunas’ pact has a base value of $2.2MM.

AUGUST 8: NBA free agents Ty Lawson and Donatas Motiejunas appear poised to become teammates in China, according to international basketball reporter David Pick, who tweets that both players will head overseas to join the Shandong Golden Stars.

According to Pick (Twitter link), Lawson reached an agreement with Shandong prior to today, striking a deal that will pay him $2.4MM, with bonuses that could push the total value to $3MM. Previously rumored to be joining another CBA team, Lawson is coming off a modest bounce-back season with the Kings, in which he averaged 9.9 PPG and 4.8 APG in 69 contests, making 45.4% of his field goal attempts.

As for Motiejunas, his agreement with Shandong was initially reported by international outlet 15min.lt, as detailed by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. His deal is believed to be in the $3MM range as well.

Motiejunas had a bizarre year in 2016, having been involved in a February trade that was scuttled due to health concerns, then going through a prolonged restricted free agency that involved another deal falling through. At various times in ’16, it seemed as if Motiejunas would be traded to the Pistons, signed by the Nets, or retained by the Rockets, but he ultimately landed with the Pelicans in January, averaging 4.4 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 34 games for New Orleans.

According to Pick (Twitter link), Shandong offered more than $3MM to Michael Beasley in the hopes of bringing him back, but the former Golden Star is opting to join the Knicks instead.

Knicks Sign Michael Beasley To One-Year Deal

August 8th, 2017 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

5:17pm: The deal is now official, per the Knicks’ press release.

2:19pm: The Knicks are closing in on a contract agreement with former second overall pick Michael Beasley, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). According to Scotto, Beasley and the Knicks are nearing a one-year deal.

The two sides are expected to finalize the terms of an agreement later today, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com. While neither Scotto nor Begley provides specific details on those terms, the Knicks have used up all their cap room and signed Ron Baker with their room exception, so Beasley appears to be in line for a minimum salary pact.

Selected one spot after Derrick Rose in the 2008 draft, Beasley spent two seasons with the Heat, and has since played for the Timberwolves, Suns, Rockets, and Bucks. He also had a second stint in Miami, and played multiple seasons in China. Prior to the 2016/17 campaign, Beasley was traded from Houston to Milwaukee in exchange for Tyler Ennis.

While he never lived up to his pre-draft billing, Beasley – who is now 28 years old – continued to provide value as a scorer off the bench in Milwaukee last season. In 56 games for the Bucks, the veteran forward averaged 9.4 PPG with a career-best .532 FG% and .419 3PT%.

Beasley figures to play a similar role in New York, giving the team some scoring punch off the bench. Of course, if the Knicks ultimately find a trade they like involving Carmelo Anthony, that could open the door for Beasley to take on a larger role.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Five Notable Forwards Still Available In Free Agency

August 1st, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

While most of the biggest names still available on the free agent market are restricted free agents, there are several noteworthy unrestricted players who are free to sign outright with any NBA team. Over the last several days, we’ve identified a number of those players, examining five notable guards, wings, and big men who remain unsigned.

Today, we’ll close out our look at those notable remaining free agents by focusing on a handful of forwards who could appeal to NBA clubs. Some of these players could be considered wings or bigs, but we’ve split them off into their own category — these are frontcourt players who probably shouldn’t be relied on as the man in the middle of any lineup that’s not unusually small.

The Raptors, Hawks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Spurs, and Hornets are among the teams that could potentially use a little more frontcourt depth, though those aren’t the only clubs who may be suitors for the players listed below.

Here are five notable free agent forwards to keep an eye on:

Dante Cunningham — An eight-year veteran, Cunningham has been a solid rotation player for most of his career, but recently added a new wrinkle to his game. After making just two three-pointers in his first six seasons, Cunningham has made 126 over the last two years, shooting an impressive 39.2% from long range in 2016/17. The apparent lack of interest in the 30-year-old so far suggests teams may be a little skeptical of his newfound range, but if he can keep it up, he’d make for an intriguing stretch four. The Knicks were linked to Cunningham in May and the Jazz were said to have interest last month, though it’s not clear if either team is still in on him.
Michael Beasley — While he never lived up to his pre-draft billing, Beasley – a former second overall pick – continued to provide value as a scorer off the bench in Milwaukee last season. In 56 games for the Bucks, the veteran forward averaged 9.4 PPG with a career-best .532 FG% and .419 3PT%. The lack of recent updates on our player page on Beasley suggests that he hasn’t been the subject of any substantial rumors this summer, which is a little surprising. I can think of several teams that could use a player like him in their second unit.
Luke Babbitt — Babbitt started 55 games for the Heat last season, but only averaged 15.7 minutes per contest, so his role was limited. Still, few players around the NBA have been more reliable three-point shooters in recent years. Babbitt has made an impressive 43.8% of his long-distance attempts since the start of the 2014/15 season. Miami was reportedly monitoring the former first-round pick earlier in the free agent period, but with Kelly Olynyk now in the mix for the Heat, a reunion may not be cards — Babbitt is said to be weighing other options.
Boris Diaw — A longtime contributor in San Antonio, Diaw joined the Jazz last season and saw his production dip — his PPG (4.6), FG% (.446), and 3PT% (.247) marks were all among the worst of his career. Diaw is 35, so we shouldn’t necessarily count on him to bounce back strong in 2017/18, but if he still has something left in the tank, he’s worth a minimum salary investment. Diaw’s ability to distribute the ball is somewhat rare for a forward, and he can fit into a wide range of lineups. The Raptors may be one possibility for him.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. — Like Babbitt, Dunleavy could provide immediate help for a team in need of some outside shooting, but like Diaw, his age is a concern; he’ll turn 37 in September. Nonetheless, Dunleavy continued to make threes at a consistent rate in 2016/17, converting 39.6% of his outside attempts despite averaging a career-low 15.9 minutes per game. The Timberwolves were identified as a possible suitor for Dunleavy earlier in the offseason, and even though that report is over a month old, Minnesota still makes sense as a landing spot. Tom Thibodeau‘s club could use another shooter or two, and Thibodeau coached Dunleavy in Chicago.

Note: Restricted free agents aren’t noted here, since they’re not free to sign with any team, but Nikola Mirotic and JaMychal Green are among the noteworthy RFA forwards still on the market.

Injury Updates: Millsap, Rivers, Bender, Beasley

March 31st, 2017 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been a rough few weeks for the Hawks, who have struggled to keep their hold on the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, having been caught by the Bucks in the standings. Still, Atlanta has won its lost two games and more good news is on the way. According to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Paul Millsap has returned to practice and signs are pointing toward him returning to action soon.

Millsap underwent a non-surgical procedure recently to help address the swelling and fluid buildup in his knee, following his diagnosis of synovitis. The four-time All-Star has missed the Hawks’ last seven games and his return would be a boon for a team that has posted an 8-14 record since mid-February.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Clippers guard Austin Rivers is expected to miss the last five games of the regular season with a strained left hamstring, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Rivers called the injury a frustrating one, but suggested he anticipates being back for the start of the playoffs.
Suns head coach Earl Watson indicated on Thursday that rookie big man Dragan Bender is getting close to returning to the court, and could be back within the week, barring setbacks, per Gerald Bourguet of Fansided (Twitter link). Bender underwent ankle surgery in February, and it’s somewhat surprising that Phoenix wants to see him return with just a few games left, rather than having him focus on 2017/18.
After missing the Bucks‘ last 17 games due to a hyperextended left knee, Michael Beasley is set to make his return on Friday night, tweets Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Acquired in a preseason trade, Beasley has become a reliable rotation piece this season in Milwaukee, averaging 9.7 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 50 games (17.1 MPG).

Central Notes: Bucks, Pacers, Lopez, James

March 25th, 2017 at 12:48pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Bucks are going to be without John Henson for the next few games, as Chris Haynes of ESPN reported Henson would be sidelined for a week with a left thumb sprain (article link). According to Haynes, Henson sustained the injury at some point during Milwaukee’s match-up against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

While Milwaukee will be short-handed for at least the next two games, Michael Beasley appears close to returning. Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Beasley could come back by next week, if not by the end of the season (Twitter link). Beasley has been out since February 27 with a hyperextended left knee.

Other goings-on around the Central…

Robin Lopez knew he was going to receive a suspension when he threw a punch at Serge Ibaka, Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago writes. Fortunately for the Bulls, Lopez received a light one-game suspension following a “pretty straight-forward” deliberation process from the league. “I mean, that’s what the league gave. I’m going to stick with it,” Lopez said, adding, “I didn’t change my story.” In his return from the suspension, Lopez went 0-for-6 from the field over 18 minutes.
The Pacers snapped their bizarre streak of 15 games alternating wins and defeats last night, taking a 125-117 loss to the Nuggets. Several players and coach Nate McMillan voiced frustration following the game, sensing a lack of urgency. “We’ve got to play like our life is on the line like it is,” Jeff Teague told Nate Taylor of Indy Star. “We’ve got to be aggressive and leave it all out there. Every game from now on is a must win for us. We’ve got to play like it. This was a bad loss at home and we didn’t come out to play. We just didn’t have the effort.” Despite falling to .500, the Pacers maintained their spot as the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed.
LeBron James suffered a corneal abrasion of his right eye during Friday’s match-up with Charlotte, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports (article link). James, who is questionable to play tonight against the Wizards, told reporters his vision was blurry following the injury. “Just took a hard foul — a hard fall, I’m sorry. And I just got up and made my free throws, I think I made them,” said James. “I was just trying to put pressure on the rim, so, if coach decides to give me a game off, it’s not because I’m resting. It’s because I’m banged up.”

Central Notes: Bulls, Middleton, Beasley

March 7th, 2017 at 7:04pm CST by Austin Kent

Although some Bulls fans may have clamored for a youth movement in Chicago, the team saw first-hand that their young core may not be ready for primetime just yet, Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. Briefly in Monday’s loss to the Pistons, the Bulls trotted out a lineup of Denzel Valentine, Jerian Grant, Paul Zipser, Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio but the offense quickly stalle, resulting in the prompt reinstatement of star forward Jimmy Butler.

Friedell explains that the vaunted trio of Portis, Valentine and recently acquired Cameron Payne may not be reliable enough offensively, citing their struggles against Detroit as an example of what life would be like for Bulls fans without Butler or Dwyane Wade there to steer the ship. Should Wade leave via free agency this summer and Butler get traded, there could be more nights just like Monday in the future.

Payne, brought over from the Thunder in the Taj Gibson trade, hasn’t been particularly effective in a Bulls uniform, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes in his own piece, highlighting the supposed “pure” point guard’s abundance of field goal attempts. Head coach Fred Hoiberg echoed the sentiment. “He took a couple shots that he maybe could’ve got one more bounce to the rim or kicked out for a shot,” Hoiberg said. “This is really the first meaningful big minutes that he’s getting in this league. And it’s all valuable experience for him. And he’s not afraid of the moment. He’s going to give you everything he has.”

There’s more out of the Central Division tonight:

After battling back from a ruptured hamstring that required surgery, Khris Middleton has wasted no time getting into a rhythm beyond the arc for the Bucks, Alex Boeder of Bucks.com writes. All of Middleton’s shooting numbers since he returned nine games ago are outpacing his career averages.
The Pacers have put an emphasis on putting smaller lineups on the floor of late with mixed results, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star writes. Since the implementation of the changes the team has shot better from the field but struggled on defense.
Injured Bucks forward Michael Beasley will be out at least two more weeks, Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Beasley, sidelined with a hyperextended knee, will be re-evaluated at that time.
The Cavaliers are in danger, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, more so now that Andrew Bogut has broken his leg and will miss the remainder of the 2016/17 season. Injuries, coupled with upcoming road games, general fatigue and lingering defensive woes could spell trouble for the squad, he writes.

Heat Notes: McRoberts, Winslow, Beasley, Whiteside

December 30th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Josh McRoberts will almost certainly choose not to opt out of his contract after suffering a foot injury this week, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. A stress fracture was discovered Tuesday in McRoberts’ left foot that will keep him off the court indefinitely. That virtually eliminates any chance he will hit the open market and try to improve on the more than $6MM the Heat owe him for next season. With McRoberts’ salary on its cap, Miami will have about $40MM in space this summer if Dion Waiters and Willie Reed both opt out as expected.

There’s more news today out of Miami:

The Heat are concerned that Justise Winslow‘s shooting problems will prevent him from ever becoming a great player, Jackson notes in the same story. Winslow ranks last in shooting percentage among the 85 players averaging at least 30 minutes per game, connecting on just 35.2% of his shots from the field and just 20% from 3-point range. “It’s tough,” Winslow said after going 0 for 9 in Thursday’s loss to the Hornets. “I try to rebound, defend. You have to find other ways to make an impact. Just one of those nights.” Miami has already picked up Winslow’s option for 2017/18 and will give the 10th pick of the 2015 draft plenty of time to work out his shooting woes.
The Heat continue to be haunted by their decision to take Michael Beasley ahead of Russell Westbrook in the 2008 draft, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Beasley lasted just two seasons in Miami before being traded to Minnesota for cash and two second-round picks. Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, a former assistant with the Heat, said there were plenty of warning signs before the draft. “I’ll never forget the year they were drafted,” he said. “Not to call out Bease, but we had to drag Bease out of the bed in Vegas to get him to the gym to work out. And Russell Westbrook had already been in that same gym for two hours, full sweat. And [Miami coach Erik Spoelstra] asked Bease, ‘Where you been?’ And it was like, ‘Oh, man, is this how this kid really is? And [Westbrook] went a whole other hour going at the speed that you see him play.”
Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who signed a four-year, $98MM deal over the summer, tells Winderman in a separate story that he doesn’t worry about trying to live up to that contract. “No different than before,” Whiteside said. “The pressure of being cut when I first got here on a non-guaranteed [contract] was a little more pressure than it is now for me.”

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Beasley, Augustin, Stauskas

November 20th, 2016 at 7:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have solved the chemistry issues that plagued them all last season, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. A power struggle ended when Derrick Rose was traded to the Knicks and Joakim Noah joined him there as a free agent, leaving Jimmy Butler as the clear leader in Chicago. He helped the team replace its lost talent by recruiting free agents Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. “We all enjoy each other’s company, man,” Butler said. “Even when we’re not playing basketball. Even if we’re throwing a football, if we’re playing cards or just sitting there talking. Everybody’s locked in. Everybody’s having fun and everybody wants to get to know each other a little bit better. I think that’s the major difference. We spent a lot of time off the floor together, which I didn’t know could help so much, but it really does.”

There’s more news out of the Eastern Conference:

Bucks forward Michael Beasley still considers himself a young player because of the time he spent out of the NBA, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Now 27, Beasley is getting used to a new team after being traded from Houston to Milwaukee in September. “My first step is really what I’ve built my game on, if you’ve watched my career,” he said. “That’s how I get my offense going, because a lot of people can’t stay in front of me. And a lot of people have trouble guarding left-handed players.”
Now on his eighth team in six seasons, backup point guard D.J. Augustin is hoping for some stability with the Magic, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. He signed a four-year, $29MM deal over the summer, but understands that isn’t a guarantee he will spend all four seasons in Orlando. “It feels good to know that I’m going to be here for a while, but you never know what can happen in the NBA,” Augustin said. “Even though guys sign long deals, they still get traded. Anything can happen, so I still have that in the back of my mind.”
Nik Stauskas blames lost confidence for a poor first season with the Sixers, according to Kevin Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Stauskas believes in his game again, and it has shown with six straight double-digit scoring nights. The third-year guard is now comfortable with his role as a scorer off the bench. “Now it’s just one of those things where I’m enjoying myself again, I’m having fun out there,” Stauskas said, “and I think that’s when I’m most effective, when I’m having fun and, like coach [Brett] Brown says, being a little bit cocky and playing with swagger. That’s when I feel like I’m at my best.”