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)
The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly nearing a deal with Michael Beasley.
The Brooklyn Nets sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference ahead of this month’s NBA restart in Orlando. The team appears set to compete in the playoffs, with the only problem being they seem to be losing players by the minute.
The Nets are already without both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Then came positive COVID-19 tests for Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince. One good bit of news was the team signing veteran guard Jamal Crawford.
Yet further reinforcements are still needed and the team is reportedly getting close to a deal with another veteran in Michael Beasley.
Beasley last appeared in an NBA game with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019 before being traded, released, and then signing a deal to play in China.
The 31-year-old is a former No. 2 overall pick by the Miami Heat who has enjoyed a long playing career even though he never lived up to his full potential. He will now get yet another shot to prove himself and will essentially be given a tryout for his NBA future.
The Nets will be Beasley’s eighth NBA team and it will be interesting to see the impact he and Crawford can have with limited preparation. Brooklyn has had a rotating cast of stars all season, and the absence of Dinwiddie, in addition to Irving, has the potential to loom large.
Right now the Nets are facing an upward battle to even make it to the first round of the NBA playoffs. The addition of Beasley could help change that if he goes off, and that possibility is something for Nets fans to get excited about amidst all the doom and gloom surrounding the team.