Michael Beasley and the San Antonio Spurs?
Yes, Please.
According to Yahoo Sports’ all-powerfull and almighty Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs intend to work out Beasley, who still hasn’t found a new home this summer:
Free-agent forward Michael Beasley is working out for the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs at the franchise’s practice facility this week, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Beasley has had several workouts for teams this summer, including two with the Los Angeles Lakers, but remains unsigned for the 2014-15 season.
The Spurs have 14 guaranteed contracts for next season, and so far, they haven’t been able to come to terms with restricted free agent Aron Baynes. …
Off-the-court issues have contributed to NBA teams’ reluctance to sign Beasley, but there’s still a belief he can be an effective scorer. His best NBA season came with Minnesota in 2010-11, when he averaged 19.2 points per game. He also played with the Phoenix Suns in 2012-13.
Hope this is true more than you’ve ever hoped anything else in life was true.
Considering all he’s been through and all he’s been accused of doing, Beasley is soooo not the Spurs. And that’s what makes this so awesome.
Imagine him playing under the stern and sober-faced Gregg Popovich, alongside Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. It would look and feel so weird, so out of place.
Dreams of the weird and out of place die hard, though. There’s little chance the Spurs actually offer Beasley a contract. If they do, it will probably be non-guaranteed, meaning Beasley and his camp may not accept it. Were they interested in non-guaranteed deals, you have to believe his previous two meetings with the Los Angeles Lakers would weigh heavier than they do now.
At 25, still being paid by the Phoenix Suns, Beasley doesn’t have to rush into anything. A non-guaranteed contract could ruin his career once and for all if it doesn’t end well. Securing a guaranteed deal provides him with additional financial security while changing perception of his entire free agency.
If for some reason this does pan out, and Beasley joins the Spurs, pray to whomever or whatever you pray to for an excess of garbage time. Coach Pop isn’t likely to play Beasley at all otherwise. The Spurs would be taking a huge risk just putting Beasley in the locker room.
Reviews of Beasley’s latest stint with the Miami Heat weren’t exactly glowing, remember. Per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe neither LeBron James nor Erik Spoelstra was impressed with The Beas’ work ethic:
he summer should be an interesting one for former second overall pick Michael Beasley, who is a free agent and is not likely to return to Miami after a disappointing second stint with the club. NBA sources said James was not pleased with Beasley’s focus and he lost the confidence of coach Erik Spoelstra shortly into the season. In one sequence that typified his career, Beasley swooped in for a tip-dunk in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. On the Spurs’ next possession, Beasley got lost on a pick-and-roll, allowing Diaw an open 3-pointer, which of course he swished. Beasley is likely to get a one-year deal on the open market and his past year in Miami did little to help his reputation
Although the Spurs are a different animal, prone to making their own decisions, past and present stigmas and rumors be damned, would this be them pushing their luck too far?
Or would Beasley be their most recent Boris Diaw: castoff-turned-invaluable-contributor-for-an-NBA-champion?
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
