NBA Rumors: Analyzing Buzz Surrounding Michael Beasley and Reggie Evans
The NBA isn't done wheeling and dealing because some deadline passed, folks.
This is the Association where franchises go to borderline video game levels to keep making moves one way or another. While the trade deadline won't come around for another 350-something days or so, teams that missed out on adding contributors can still do so via free agency.
Not only are would-be contenders like the Miami Heat still coming up in rumblings, but it would be imperative to keep in mind that each move from here until the summer might be a ploy by any organization involved to better position itself ahead of a free-agent class headlined by Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo and many more.
While the names making the rounds right now aren't the biggest by any means, it's the little improvements made by contenders or seemingly insignificant moves made by a team with a much bigger master plan that dot this time period before the playoffs.
Here's the latest.
Michael Beasley Watch
Remember Michael Beasley?
The No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft has mostly fizzled anywhere he's gone, which is why he didn't have much in the way of interest from teams around the Association last year. In September, he opted to go play in China.
Now the former Kansas State star is on his way back.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Beasley has shown strong numbers in enough ways to garner interest from NBA teams:
"A clutch of NBA teams, I'm told, are tracking Michael Beasley as he nears a return from China. Last seen in the NBA last season with Miami, Beasley has played his way into contention for a late-season contract back home after a strong season in which he's established himself a 40-plus percent shooter from 3-point range while leading Shandong to the playoffs for the first time in more than a half-decade with a slew of gaudy numbers.
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Shooting better than 40 percent from deep will get most 27-year-old veterans a look in the NBA. This seems especially the case for Beasley, though, who on his career in the NBA shot 34 percent.
One logical destination some might bring up would be the aforementioned Heat, the team that brought Beasley into the league and saw him out of it when he returned for a two-year stint before going to China.
According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, though, the Heat aren't one of the teams in the running:
Other than the fact the two sides worked together in the past, such a connection made sense with Chris Bosh dealing with an injury. The Heat could use the depth underneath the basket when running a smaller lineup, but it sounds like the team will take a wait-and-see approach.
In all likelihood, whichever team decides to offer Beasley a contract won't ask him to play hefty minutes. While it seems like Beasley has already earned himself an end-of-season contract, to have a job in the NBA next year, he will need to knock down shots from behind the arc well no matter where he lands.
Odds are a contender comes calling. For Beasley, any chance to show off how he's progressed is a win.
The Reggie Evans Comeback
It appears veteran Reggie Evans could make for one of the more interesting comeback stories of the season if he manages to catch on with a contender down the stretch.
For those who found it easy to forget about Evans, he's the guy who entered the league in 2002 playing with Seattle before jumping around with numerous teams, most recently suiting up for the Sacramento Kings and posting averages of 3.7 points and 6.4 boards on 16.3 minutes per night.
Back in November, Alex Kennedy of BasketballInsiders.com noted that Evans kept himself in game shape in case a team wanted to give him a call:
It appears Evans might be close to getting that call, according to Kennedy's colleague, Moke Hamilton:
The Heat, as mentioned, could use some help underneath the basket if Bosh has to miss an extended period of time. Considering Miami sits in third place in the Eastern Conference, grabbing some depth for a potentially deep playoff run makes sense.
That logic is why the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics make sense as well. The Rockets sit in eighth place in the Western Conference. Dwight Howard is still around after the deadline, but with Donatas Motiejunas getting a second opinion on a back injury, according to ESPN's Calvin Watkins, it makes perfect sense to go out and get a rental like Evans while making a push.
Boston might be the most interesting team here, though. The Celtics are right behind the Heat in the conference, but center Kelly Olynyk will miss as much as three weeks with a shoulder issue.
It's not hard to see why Evans stayed in shape. The passage of time and injuries from the wear and tear of a grueling season are the surest things around. Evans, while not the explosive player he once was, could be a stabilizing force in a playoff-altering run for a team in need.
Only one question remains—who gets Evans? Or maybe a better way—which team will Evans pick?
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
