Michael Beasley wasn’t among the top free agent names Los Angeles Lakers fans were excited about heading into the summer, but the team surprised them anyway by signing the eccentric forward this NBA offseason. Beasley is not Paul George, and his only similarity with Kawhi Leonard is the braids they both sport, but with the former lottery pick is now in Los Angeles, he will try to prove his naysayers wrong and reciprocate Lakers president of basketball Magic Johnson’s trust in him.
Speaking of Johnson, Beasley expressed how thrilled he is of having the opportunity to belong in the same organization as the Hall of Famer.
Per the Lakers’ official Twitter account:
.@Michael8easley calls Magic Johnson: “A guy I’ve dreamed of meeting my whole life. To get to play for him is surreal.”
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 23, 2018
It’s been 10 years since the Miami Heat took Michael Beasley as the second-overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, but the forward has yet to find a home in the league. He’s played just one season with each of his past four teams, including the New York Knicks last season. In his only campaign in Gotham, Beasley managed to put a little more value to his stock by taking advantage of increased playing time following the season-ending knee injury suffered by Kristaps Porzingis.
Beasley averaged 13.2 points in 22.3 minutes per game with the Knicks. Those were his best numbers in the said categories since the 2010-11 season when he was still with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the Lakers, Beasley will most likely become a nice source of offense off the bench, but he can also see plenty of playing time alongside LeBron James whenever the team opts to play small ball basketball with the four-time MVP playing the five position.
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