SAN JOSE, CA – OCTOBER 12: Michael Beasley #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks off the court smiling after he received two technical fouls and was ejected from the game against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of their NBA basketball game at SAP Center on October 12, 2018 in San Jose, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Michael Beasley of the Brooklyn Nets is out of the NBA bubble after testing positive for COVID-19.
Michael Beasley was already facing a five-game suspension for a drug violation when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets less than a week ago, and now he could be on the bench for much longer.
As first reported by ESPN’s Malika Andrews and Tim Bontemps, the forward left the bubble in Orlando to quarantine, which The Athletic’s Shams Charania confirmed was due to testing positive for the coronavirus. Per Charania, his roster status is still up in the air.
The poor Brooklyn Nets can’t seem to catch a break.
The Nets had so much potential heading into this season, but the team’s roster has been absolutely ruined by injuries and positive coronavirus tests. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were already off the table due to injuries suffered earlier in the year, but Beasley was supposed to be a replacement player. It’s not just starters anymore — the Nets barely even have their subs.
You know the Nets were desperate because Beasley hasn’t seen the court since a handful of games in 2018–19 when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers. Beasley was a former No. 2 draft pick, but he hasn’t had a truly good season in years, and it looks like this year will not be anywhere near the comeback that it could have been.
Beasley is headed home now, and his status on the Nets’ roster is up in the air. The team seems to have a coronavirus curse after four positive tests back in April. Three key pieces, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, are currently out of the bubble because of positive test. Wilson Chandler, who would have come off the bench to replace some of the missing stars, is (understandably) choosing to opt out of the rest of the season because of concerns about the virus.
We know that the Nets organization doesn’t want to pull out of the league return, and Brooklyn fans certainly wouldn’t be happy if the team couldn’t keep a roster filled to compete. However, they’re getting pretty close. Even if the Nets can cobble together assorted young players and past-prime veterans, they’re going to be terrible. Is it really worth risking everybody’s heath to be completely embarrassed on the court?
The New York Knicks weren’t even good enough this season to be included in the league’s return to play, and unfortunately the shorthanded Nets are on the path to joining them. The entire city of New York might need to cut their losses and hope for better luck next year after a rough 2020.