Veteran free agent Michael Beasley resurfaces once again as the league has informed all teams that he is eligible to play starting on Feb. 14, per Michael Scotto. With this, anyone can pick him up and expect him to see action shortly after the trade deadline on Feb. 10.
The 33-year old last played in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2018-19 before embarking overseas with short stints in China and Puerto Rico. Also according to Scotto, he reportedly claimed that he is continuously working on his game and is eyeing to make a return to the league sometime this season.
It is highly likely that there is still an organization out there that would benefit from Michael Beasley's services and would be willing to roll the dice on him, even on a short-term basis. With that said, let's take a look at three NBA teams that should pick up Beasley from free agency:
There is no doubt that the Celtics have been one of the most underwhelming teams of the 2021-22 season thus far. The squad's offense has been stagnant as it is primarily revolving around the 1-on-1 plays of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on most occasions.
To make matters worse, they also can't make wide-open shots as they are currently ranked 29th in field-goal percentage in that category, per NBA Stats. Things aren't any better on the defensive end as well as the Celtics have given up at least 100 points to their opponents in nine out of their last 13 games.
In hindsight, the Celtics are no strangers to trying their luck on tenured veterans as they have previously signed Joe Johnson on a 10-day contract. Doing the same with a guy like Michael Beasley shouldn't be a wild idea and could potentially be a low-risk, high-reward type of acquisition for them.
His shot-making abilities as well as his length could give an advantage to the Celtics on both ends of the floor. Who knows, maybe he could be the sparkplug that could allow the team to climb up the standings and enter the playoff picture later in the season.
An injury-plagued squad like the Denver Nuggets can use any type of help that they can get at this point in their campaign, with key players like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. still sidelined due to long-term injuries.
With this, Mike Malone and his squad recently made moves to strengthen their roster which includes the signing of veterans like DeMarcus Cousins and James Ennis III. They can also explore adding Michael Beasley to their latest haul which will further increase their depth in the wings amid Porter Jr.'s extended absence.
Aside from his ability to create his own shots, he can also serve as an extra body down low in the paint. His experience will also be valuable in allowing the team's young guys to develop, especially as they aim to make a run in this year's postseason.
Having an MVP-caliber player like Nikola Jokic would always attract expectations and he would surely appreciate more help around him in order to lift his team higher than a sixth seed in the West by the end of the season.
Like the Nuggets, the Los Angeles Clippers also caught the injury bug as they continue to miss the services of Kawhi Leonard who has yet to play a single game this season. Paul George is also expected to be out for several weeks and could also consider having season-ending surgery on his torn UCL.
Without their two best players on the floor, Tyronn Lue's squad has been fighting tooth and nail to keep their playoff hopes alive as they sit in the ninth spot in the West. Given the situation, they can throw a long shot at Michael Beasley who is still capable of contributing at 33 years of age.
He can potentially play behind Nicolas Batum and provide valuable contributions from time to time as he comes off the bench. Shot-making has always been the calling card of Beasley and his skillset on offense would fit right into the needs of Los Angeles at the moment.
Moreover, acquiring the services of the veteran wouldn't hurt the Clippers, especially now that they are missing firepower on both ends of the floor amid Leonard and George's absences. Off the court, Beasley can also serve as an additional voice in the locker room, specifically towards their young guys like Amir Coffey and Brandon Boston, among others.
Surely enough, any team that would attempt to acquire Michael Beasley would be playing with fire but it could also potentially pay dividends, especially if his would-be coaches will know how to utilize him well and maximize his capabilities whenever he's on the floor.
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