With every passing NBA offseason up until the trade deadline, one name that keeps getting snubbed is Michael Beasley , a player who, despite his talents, seems stuck in the shadows. All signs point to him being overlooked again.
Beasley hasn't set foot in an NBA game in over five years. Instead, he's been globetrotting in China and Puerto Rico. For a guy who came into the NBA with so much hype, it's hard to believe how things turned out.
Michael failed to live up to the hype
Beasley was the second overall pick of the 2008 Draft, fresh off winning Big 12 Player of the Year honors during his one season at Kansas State. Expectations were sky-high, but his pro career just never really took off. The last glimpse anyone had of Beasley anywhere near an NBA setting was in the 2021 Summer League, where he suited up for the Portland Trail Blazers .
Considering the outcome, it was a long time coming. Before being drafted, the forward was profiled as having undeniable talent, but his attitude and focus were highlighted as major weaknesses. Beasley attended six different high schools across five states; many saw this as a factor for his lack of focus.
Even NBA super-agent Rich Paul , who represents some of the biggest names in the game, weighed in on Beasley's NBA absence.
"Michael Beasley is probably one of the most talented guys to ever touch a basketball," Paul said . "But talent also have to be able to value infrastructure too. And I know Michael Beasley personally, and he is a good dude. And I'm sure if he had the opportunity to do it all over again, he would take a different approach."
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Beasley's NBA run
After being drafted by the Miami Heat , everyone had high hopes for B-Easy's partnership with Dwyane Wade . Some of Michael's best years were with the Heat, but unfortunately, the two never reached their full potential as a duo.
By 2010, the Kansas State product was shipped off in a trade, and things started getting a bit rocky for him afterward.
Michael was a double-digit scorer in his first five NBA seasons, showing flashes of the potential he showcased in college—the forward averaged 26.2 points per game, which was third overall in the nation, and led the country with 12.4 rebounds, the most in Big 12 history.
Beasley was a player loaded with offensive talent but was never able to fully cement his place in the league. Unfortunately, a lot of his struggles came off the court. One of the earliest red flags was back in August 2006, when he was arrested for marijuana possession. That was just one in a string of drug-related issues that kept following him around. By the summer of 2009, Michael had to enter the NBA's drug program.
It resulted in the pattern of bouncing from one team to the next, and by the time his NBA days wrapped up, the former lottery pick had played for seven different teams over 11 seasons. At 35, it's doubtful we'll see him back in the NBA. That ship has probably sailed.
Related: "Whatever team I think he is on, he could be the best player" - T-Mac on why Michael Beasley is 'too good’ for the NBA'
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