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Former Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley said he wasn’t a fan of the organization early in his playing career but has since grown to love the franchise now that he’s out of the league.
“I got mixed feelings,” Beasley told The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang in a story published July 21. “I love the Heat organization, I love a lot of people in the organization. But I had to grow into those feelings. When I was a player, I didn’t like them at all. I didn’t like what was going on, I didn’t like that I didn’t get an opportunity. I didn’t like the narrative behind me not getting an opportunity was my defense. I don’t like the fact that I never played more than 20 minutes, which means I always watched more than half the game [from the bench].”
Beasley was drafted second overall by the Heat back in 2008 and was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie first team. But they traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves two years later in exchange for two second-round picks and some cash. He continued to bounce around the league for several more years — including another two-year stint in Miami from 2013-15 — before eventually falling out of the NBA after the 2019 season.
In his 11-year NBA career, the 34-year-old averaged 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc. He was a regular starter in only his second and third seasons in the league.
Ex-Heat Guard Dion Waiters Looking for New NBA Contract
Beasley isn’t the only former member of the Heat to be in the media in recent weeks. Dion Waiters, who spent four seasons in South Beach from 2016-19, told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes that he’s ready for another opportunity in the NBA.
“I’m healthy. I just want that opportunity just to show I’m not who I once was,” Waiters said. “And I know a lot of people talk about that, but for me, I think it’s more about showing that I’ve changed. That’s why I’m here, man. I still got that love. I still got that itch. I know I can still help a team win at the highest level on the court and even in the locker room as a veteran presence. So why not just give it a go and just see what happens? You never know.”
Waiters played in 123 games for the Heat, averaging 13.9 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per contest.
NBA Scout Picks 76ers Tyrese Maxey Over Heat’s Tyler Herro
With no NBA games happening during the summer, fans and analysts typically spend their time ranking players and debating which is better. That — of course — was the case in the past few weeks. Miami’s Tyler Herro was pitted against Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers on the national stage, with many choosing Maxey over Herro.
An anonymous scouting executive who spoke with Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney shared that same sentiment.
“I like Herro, I think everyone does,” the scout said. “But when you look at where these guys are gonna be in four or five years, you can see a lot more growth potential with Maxey. He is more of an attacker, he gets into the lane, he is a lot more efficient with his shot. And you know, in today’s game, efficiency is everything. So I mean, it’s a no-brainer in that respect.”
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