Miami Heat: Ranking the franchise’s last 10 first-round picks
4. Michael Beasley
- Drafted 2nd overall in 2008
- Years in Miami: four
Michael Beasley is undoubtedly one of the biggest draft duds in recent memory. He hasn’t lived up to the billing of being drafted second overall, but in terms of production, he’s still one of the better first-round picks Miami has made over the last 20-plus years.
Beasley, a 6’9″ forward, dominated college hoops. He was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in his lone year at Kansas State. He is the only college player to average 26 points and 12 rebounds since 2000.
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Only future league MVP Derrick Rose heard his name on draft night before Beasley was drafted by the Heat. Beasley was named to the All-Rookie First team and became a full-time starter in his second year, but he never developed into anything more than a decent scorer. In those two seasons, Beasley averaged 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds on 46.1 percent field goal shooting.
The Heat traded Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves for two future second-round picks in the 2010 offseason. After his two-year stint in Minnesota and a one-year stint with the Phoenix Suns – where he was waived one year after signing a three-year, $18 million contract – Beasley returned to Miami. He appeared in 55 games in the 2013-14 season, averaging a then-career-low 7.9 points.
It goes without saying that the Heat could have done better than Beasley. Multi-time All-NBA Team members Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love were drafted fourth and fifth overall. Even players such as Eric Gordon or Danilo Gallinari, who went sixth and seventh, would have been better options.