Before the horn sounded on the NBA trade deadline back on March 15, the Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of acquiring small forward Michael Beasley. With the Lakers in desperate need of scoring off the bench and solid outside shooting, Beasley was thought to be one the missing pieces to the puzzle in Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, with about five minutes left before the deadline, the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled the plug on the deal that would’ve sent Beasley to the Lakers.
Now that the NBA off-season has begun for the Lakers and the Timberwolves, the trade rumors and free agent speculation has started to heat up with Beasley potentially landing on the open market. With the consensus being that the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol and let forwards Matt Barnes and Troy Murphy leave via free agency, Los Angeles will be pursuing frontcourt help over the summer.
That being said, Beasley fits the bill for the Lakers. With Los Angeles already showing interest in the 23-year-old heading towards the trade deadline, the team might revisit trying to acquire the forward via free agency.
According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Times, the Lakers might be able to sign Beasley for the mini-midlevel:
“Considering his recent performance, it’s possible that his market value would fall below the $6.9 million he made last season. Perhaps the Lakers could pick him up with a mini-midlevel ($3 million) contract or as part of a larger trade package.”
There’s no indication what the market will be for Beasley over the summer or how much interest the Timberwolves has in retaining him, but the Lakers could show serious interest. Minnesota might consider letting Beasley sign elsewhere over the summer with rookie Derrick Williams being the future of the small forward position for the Timberwolves.
The addition of Beasley would address many different needs for the Lakers moving forward. Beasley’s scoring punch off the bench, size and youth at 23-years-old are all attributes the Lakers are looking to improve upon in the off-season.
