An early look at Orlando Magic 2017 Free Agency

Michael Beasley

The Miami Heat did not get what they expected when they drafted Michael Beasley ahead of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love in the 2008 NBA Draft. He struggled both on the court and off the court, eventually landing in China with the Shandong Golden Stars for the 2016 season.

He signed with the Houston Rockets in March of last year, then he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2017 season.

Although the days hoping he could blossom into a star are long gone, he had a solid 2017 campaign. He shot nearly 42 percent on threes (albeit with a low attempt rate – just 0.8 attempts per game) and was highly efficient scoring on cuts, using his size to bully opposing threes and quickness to elude other power forwards.

In that way, his ability to create matchup issues for opponents is not all that different from Aaron Gordon. What makes Beasley different, besides his lack of gravity-defying moves above the rim, is his shooting ability. On spot-ups last year, he shot better than 50 percent with an effective field goal percentage close to 60 percent.

No offense should put the ball in his hands and expect regular productivity. But put him in a corner and allow him to move off the ball and your other players will have more space to work while he finds his way to efficient shots.

He is a mediocre defender, but this past season he proved he can offer consistent offensive contributions. For the relatively small contract he will probably attract, he might be worth the risk for the Magic.

Questions about his attitude, work ethic and off-court behavior will follow him for the rest of his career, even though he has not been involved in any major incidents in a while. That is something the Magic should keep in mind if they consider signing him. And again, his experience with the Bucks last year has a first-hand defender in Hammond.

On the court Beasley could be a valuable bench contributor.