With the free agency buzzer just one month away from sounding, New York Knicks forward Michael Beasley finds himself in a situation of calmness. For some players, registering interest in free agency is a very difficult task to complete. But for Beasley, his solid play this season has already earned him some early chatter.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Beasley is expected to receive interest from a handful of teams once he becomes a free agent on July 1 — including the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns.
According to an NBA source, the Hawks and Suns have interest in Beasley and both clubs have cap space. Beasley has a home in Atlanta and is said to be intrigued.
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Knicks brass want Beasley to re-sign but will have to use either all or a portion of their $8.6 million midlevel exception. Beasley started at power forward after Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL in early February, and the 7-foot-3 Latvian’s return is a giant mystery. At best, Porzingis will be back by Christmas — if at all — leaving the starting power-forward position wide open.
Beasley spent time with the Suns during the 2012-13 season, playing for the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves before that. He left Phoenix to rejoin the Heat for two more quick stints, spent two seasons overseas in China, and joined the Rockets in 2016 — where he was eventually traded to Milwaukee, his final team before signing a contract with the Knicks in 2017. Yes, you read that correctly.
Beasley, 29, averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 22 minutes per game on 51 percent shooting with the Knicks this season. He’ll enter his 12th NBA season in the fall.
