Michael Beasley Profile
Attending six different schools in four states, Beasley had trouble finding a home in high school. His immense talent shone through the cloud of a constant change of venue, and Rivals.com ranked the teenager as the No. 1 prospect of the 2007 class. He was a five-star power forward recruit and committed to the Kansas State Wildcats in June of 2006. In the fall of 2007, the McDonald’s All-American MVP began his one-and-done season at KSU.
Beasley had one of the greatest years in college basketball history. He led the country in several statistical categories, including double-doubles, of which he had 28, breaking former Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony’s freshman mark of 22. He helped guide the Wildcats over the sixth seed University of Southern California Trojans and into the second round of the NCAA tournament, but was unable to carry his team past the third seed Wisconsin Badgers, losing 72-55 despite recording his final collegiate double-double.
Among his numerous awards at Kansas State, Beasley was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American and the 2008 NCAA rebounding leader. Soon after his freshman season, Beasley declared for the 2008 NBA draft, where he was selected with the second overall pick by the Miami Heat.
Beasley’s professional career has been marred by short tenures and trouble with marijuana. He spent just two years with the Heat, averaging a career-high 6.4 rebounds per game in his second season. He was then shipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves in July of 2010 to make room for Miami’s “Big Three.” In his first season with the Timberwolves, he averaged a career-high 19.2 points in 73 games.
Following his second season with the Timberwolves, Beasley opted to sign a three-year $18 million contract with the Phoenix Suns. A marijuana possession arrest led to his release after just one season in the desert.
Just over a week later, Beasley returned to South Florida, just in time for the team’s final hurrah with its bevy of All-Star talent, signing his second deal with Miami on September 11, 2013. The Heat made its fourth straight Finals appearance, but fell to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1. Beasley signed a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies in September of 2014, but was cut a short time later, and decided to take his talents to the Chinese Basketball Association.
He spent one season with the Shanghai Sharks, scoring a record 59 points off the bench in the 2015 CBA All-Star game. Beasley averaged 28.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in China and drew NBA interest once again. Beasley’s third stint with the Miami Heat began in February of 2015 with a ten-day contract, which would later expand to a full-season deal. The Heat added a team option to the contract, but declined to pick it up at the end of the season.
Beasley returned to China for the 2015-2016 season, averaging 31.9 points and 13.4 boards per game for the Shandong Golden Stars. He was subsequently named the CBA’s Foreign MVP.
Making his way back to the NBA in March of 2016, Beasley signed with the Houston Rockets, helping the team reach the playoffs as an eighth seed with a 41-41 record. Following the season, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for point guard Tyler Ennis. His time with the Bucks, like his time with every team he has played for, was short, but he helped Milwaukee take the Toronto Raptors to six games in the first round of the playoffs.
On Aug. 8, Beasley signed a one-year deal with the New York Knicks for the veteran’s minimum.
