Miami Heat: Does A Michael Beasley Return Make Sense?

Back-to-back championships are extremely hard to come by in today’s NBA, but the Miami Heat have weathered the storm and got it accomplished. Led by their MVP, LeBron James, there are not many holes on their roster to patch up. Since 2008, one of the key pieces in the trade that landed the Miami Heat both Chris Bosh and James was Michael Beasley. The Heat moved the versatile forward in order to create cap space for the signings of both players.

Photo Credit: NBA.com

The road hasn’t been the smoothest for Beasley since entering the NBA from Kansas State in 2008. Beasley was sought in questioning for an incident involving marijuana use during the 2008 Rookie Transition Program, along with former teammate Mario Chalmers. Despite no charges being filed, Beasley gained one strike against his NBA reputation. Two solid years in Miami that also included a playoff appearance gave Beasley good NBA experience.

Since leaving the Miami Heat for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Beasley has shown many flashes of potential and even put up a career best of 19 points per game, along with nearly six rebounds. With stellar play on the court came the lingering issue that has always placed a question mark on Beasley. He has had a string of substance abuse allegations, arrests and even a minor scuffle with a fan at an offseason basketball game.

Consequently, all of these events, coupled with free agency, led Beasley to leave for the Phoenix Suns on a three-year deal for $18 million. His stint there was not only much of the same issues, but it led to him being waived after a recent arrest. Currently, Beasley has cleared waivers, but no interest has surfaced for him, except for reports from Miami about the Heat looking to reunite with him.

Signing Beasley comes with the trouble of both convincing him to play for the minimum and possibly dealing with his off-the-court baggage. For most teams, this would be a huge issue, but strong personalities such as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Pat Riley could really do wonders for Beasley’s focus. Coming onto a team that plays for championships consistently and is no stranger to handling personalities, his return may be welcomed. The league was witness to the rejuvenated play of a similar player in Chris Andersen. Birdman contributed mightily to the Heat in the postseason and is very important to their locker room. It has to be a very interesting thought to believe that the same can be done for Beasley, but time will tell in a matter of weeks on the decision.

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