Michael Beasley Not With Lakers For Game Vs. Timberwolves

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

After agreeing to terms with LeBron James in free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers moved to sign a slew of veterans to fill out their roster. In what was a surprise to even himself, Michael Beasley was part of that equation.

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Although teams have historically surrounded James with knock-down shooters, the Lakers went in the direction of constructing a roster that featured versatility, play makers and a defensive mindset. The front office championed Beasley as checking off each of those traits.

Despite reports of impressive showings throughout training camp, Beasley didn’t gain much traction during the preseason. He suffered two minor injuries that prevented him from finishing separate games, and has been used sparingly thus far in the regular season.

With the Lakers set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, it was announced Beasley is not with the team, per Mike Trudell:

Beasley has appeared in half of the Lakers’ six games entering play against the Timberwolves, and only logged a combined 11 minutes this season. He was considered to be an option at backup center but the bulk of those opportunities have been extended to Kyle Kuzma and more recently Jonathan Williams.

When Beasley may return from the personal matter he was excused to tend to is unclear. His absence comes on the same night as Brandon Ingram returning from a four-game suspension.

The Lakers next play Wednesday, when the face the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com