The 2008 NBA Draft could have been one of the best. Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, and OJ Mayo —the top three picks —were All-Star-caliber talents that never lived up to expectations. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and Brook Lopez, among others, went on to have outstanding careers. Yet, they weren’t expected to leave as deep a mark as the others.
Klutch Sports CEO and agent Rich Paul recently made appearance on Million Dollaz Worth Of Game, discussing his career journey. In the process, he stumbled into the topic of adversity. That’s a word that’s not Beasley isn’t unfamiliar with, as he very well knows.
NBA Agent Rich Paul Weighs In On Demise Of Michael Beasley
“Michael Beasley is probably one of the most talented guys to ever touch a basketball,” Paul says.
“But talent also has to be able to value infrastructure too. And I know Michael Beasley personally, and he is a good dude. And I’m sure if he had the opportunity to do it all over again, he would take a different approach.”
What’s The Story?
Beasley’s career was wrought with misfortune. The blows were undoubtedly self-inflicted, regardless of the circumstances. Still, regardless of that fact, the way Beasley’s career panned out leaves a bad taste in the mouth of many.
The activity he partook in —smoking marijuana —is illegal, but controversially. So much so that there are different rules for it on federal and state levels. The NBA doesn’t even test for it anymore. Maybe Beasley was born a decade too early or the league caught on too late. Nonetheless, he seems like a victim of an outmoded school of thought.
At the same time, Beasley bore a responsibility to his team to adhere to the NBA’s bylaws. Whether he agreed with them, he knew the consequences of not following them. As talented as he is, it didn’t and doesn’t put him above the precepts. His refusal to adhere to not only the norms, but the rules, was understandably met with repercussions.
As Paul says, if Beasley had the chance to make different decisions, he would have. For one, he’s an individual who truly loves the game of basketball. He’s also an extremely gifted player. If he had the right discipline, he may have been one of the NBA’s greats.
Again, when he left Kansas State, that’s what was expected of him. When the Heat decided to draft him, the fit was even there. He’s a more gifted player than Udonis Haslem and Miami needed someone to take pressure off of Dwayne Wade. He just didn’t take his career seriously enough.
After the Heat traded Beasley in 2010, he had multiple chances to revive his career. That’s how much respect his talent garnered. Indeed, the season after Miami traded him, Beasley averaged a career-high 19.2 points per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He just couldn’t stay out of his own way. His off-court issues and his inconsistency on-court caused his career to crumble.
Has He Played His Last NBA Game?
Now 35 years old, Beasley seems to be in a better place so far as his maturity and mentality. He’s still playing too, recently winning the 2024 BIG3 MVP award. As a result, him suiting up in the NBA again might not be out of the question.
It does seem like his days in the NBA are over. He really never quite eased the concerns about his defense or playmaking ability. However, there’s always a team that needs a scorer. If nothing else, the lefty knows how to do that.
