The New York Knicks and free-agent forward Michael Beasley are nearing an agreement on a one-year deal, sources told Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders on Tuesday.
Beasley would bring some depth to either the small or power forward positions behind the likes of either Carmelo Anthony (should he stay with the Knicks), Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis.
The 28-year-old has seen his once-promising career fall to the status of utility man off the bench.
Picked second-overall by the Miami Heat in 2008 out of Kansas State, one pick after former Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, Beasley was expected develop into a well-rounded force in the backcourt.
Instead, off-court issues ranging from drug and alcohol problems to a sexual assault case derailed his career.
When he couldn’t stick in the NBA, Beasley fled to China where he became the CBA’s most valuable player in 2016. It was enough to earn him a spot on the Houston Rockets where he averaged just under 13 points and five rebounds per night in 20 games.
He spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in 56 games while averaging 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he was ranked ninth among all qualified small forwards in the NBA with a player efficiency rating of 17.91.
That kind of talent coming off the bench in New York could be invaluable in ensuring that the Knicks get quality minutes when Anthony or Porzingis are on the bench.
