The Michael Beasley Debate: Power Forward, Small Forward, or Trading Chip

Two of the most important issues for the Miami Heat this offseason will be how they value Michael Beasley, and, based on that value, how they formulate their plans for the 21-year-old power forward. 

Head coach Eric Spoelstra gave a public vote of confidence for the second-year player earlier this week, and there was no indication Beasley's future with the franchise is in jeopardy, but a lot can change between now and next season's trade deadline. 

Move beyond the fact that he sat out the second half of Game Five's season-ending loss to the Boston Celtics; one game alone doesn't make or break a player. After two years though, Beasley hasn't sold himself yet and that's troubling.

Especially when the likes of O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, and Brook Lopez have each had more success on the court and were all drafted after Beasley. That has a lot to do with situations, minutes, and touches, but it doesn't stop you from wondering if the Heat should have gone a different route with the second-overall pick in the 2008 draft. 

Where do they go from here though? Does Beasley remain with the franchise and have the chance to develop? Is he traded for a point guard or even just for cap relief? What about another try at small forward?

These are some of the questions that need to be addressed this offseason in Miami.

A switch to the three is definitely something that will be considered, but not a lot of faith can be put into that. It didn't work out a year ago and chances are it wouldn't be more successful the second time around. 

Beasley doesn't have the defensive skill set to guard opposing small forwards on the perimeter, and his athletic advantage is minimized at the position as well. He's at his best when he attacks the paint and when he's on his game the mismatch at the four is almost always there.

It wouldn't be at the three. Is there harm in discovering this all over again? None at all, but it will be a short-lived experiment.  

Beasley is a power forward and he always will be.

But unless the Heat believe he's their future at the position, it's time to move on. Miami has a number of holes on their roster and can't go into next season without addressing them. Even if they bring back Wade, sign an Amar'e Stoudemire or Chris Bosh, re-sign Udonis Haslem, Carlos Arroyo, Dorell Wright, and Joel Anthony, and pick up their option on Mario Chalmers, those holes will still be there.  

They'll be without a legitimate starting point guard and small forward. Sure, Arroyo or Chalmers and Wright can man those roles, but that has to be a backup plan, not the blueprint. 

That's where Beasley enters play. He's essentially Miami's only worthwhile trading chip and might best serve the franchise as the centerpiece in a deal to land a better option at the point. But there's another, less popular alternative. 

The notion of simply dropping him in a Chris Quinn-type deal has picked up steam recently and while it seems illogical at first glance, there is some sense to the notion. If he, Daequan Cook, and James Jones, who are due a combined $11.6 million next season, were packaged in a deal for cap relief, that could potentially free up enough space to bring in three players on maximum contracts. 

Of course that would mean sacrificing any chance of bringing back Haslem and most of Miami's impending free agents. But a roster with the likes of Wade, Bosh, and say, Joe Johnson—merely an example—would make such a move worthwhile.  

Exactly what the Heat plan on doing with Beasley remains a mystery to the public and must be a daily in-house debate. No one wants to give up on a 21-year-old with as much potential as his, but if there is reasonable value to be had moving him it needs to be considered, especially if there's a net gain in doing so.

Pat Riley certainly knows that.

During the next couple months, we'll all have a much better idea where he stands on the matter.