Michael Beasley came into the league as the 2nd overall pick in the 2008 draft class, and no one could see how he could be anything but successful. After all, he had just put up 26.2 ppg and 12.1 rpg in his lone college season at Kansas State.
At 6'10", 235 lbs., Beasley was the perfect forward - athletic and skilled enough to play the three while still being physical enough to play the four.
He became a full time starter for the Miami Heat at the end of his rookie season, but after year two, he was traded to Minnesota to make room for LeBron James and Chris Bosh. That was fine with Beasley, who put up his best year as a pro with 19.2 ppg and 5.6 rpg.
That offseason, things started to get out of control. Two marijuana-related incidents marred his rookie season, but another marijuana incident and an altercation with a fan put him in bad graces with Timberwolves.
After a bad season (11.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg), he was sent to Phoenix, where he saw his numbers continue to slip as playing time decreased. Throw in another marijuana and narcotics arrest in the following offseason, and the Suns cut him.
Beasley signed back on with Miami last season to be a bench guy, but he saw extremely limited minutes.
Now in Memphis, it might be his last chance to make an NBA roster - and he couldn't have landed in a more perfect place.
Beasley is still young (25 years old) and still has his athleticism that is so scarce on this Grizzlies team. His scoring ability from both inside and out will provide a boost to a team that ranked 27th in the league in scoring a year ago, and his defensive struggles will be hidden by a team that plays such good team defense. But perhaps the best fit is the strong locker room he'll be entering, led by Zach Randolph, who also has a troubled past.
Bringing Beasley into training camp is a no-lose situation for Memphis since they don't owe him anything, but he could provide them with some skills they desperately need.
As for Beasley, it's a chance to get his career back on course - if he can stay out of trouble.
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