NBA Rumors: Minnesota Timberwolves Shouldn't Trade Michael Beasley to Lakers

Trading Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers would be a horrific move for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press said that the Lakers are interested in his services.

It’s hard to believe, but Beasley is still 23 years of age. He was considered one of the better draft prospects in recent years.

The 2008 first-round pick of the Timberwolves has had a down campaign in 2012; He’s averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in 23 games played.

Before the Timberwolves even consider trading Beasley, they can’t forget what he did in 2011. In 32.4 minutes per game, Beasley averaged a career-high 19.2 points. He was more of a focal point to the offense a year ago and his numbers suggest it.

They have a 23-year-old kid that is coming off his greatest year as a professional. Sounds like a player I wouldn’t think about giving up.

Beasley is taking the professional route on this situation.

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"I just play basketball, and if that happens, it happens, and I'll still play basketball," Beasley said. “I love my team and my coaches. If it's time for me to go, I have no control over that. I'm just playing the game and keeping my mouth shut."

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Minnesota has a nice, young group of players to build around, and Beasley still can be one of those important pieces. Kevin Love is the leader, Ricky Rubio is an exciting point guard, Derrick Williams is still developing and Beasley can be another scoring threat, if given every opportunity to be the star.

Beasley is shooting a career-low 11.6 times per game; he’s getting to the line only 2.3 times per game. His numbers suggest that he’s not being aggressive with his limited number of touches. 

Players are confident when they are getting the maximum amount of touches in scoring positions per game. He’s not receiving that this season.

He deserves a starting role in the NBA, and Minnesota should provide him with one. Beasley has proven that he can score the rock at a decent clip, and he’s still in his early-20s.

Trading Beasley to any team, let alone another Western Conference team, would be a major mistake. At 23 years of age, Beasley is a few years away from the pinnacle of his career.

Beasley hasn’t panned out as well as the organization has expected, but they must take the safe route and not trade the potential superstar because he could haunt them for 10-15 years down the line.