NBA PM: Spurs Are Latest to Work Out Beasley

Spurs Latest Team to Work Out Beasley

Michael Beasley is one of the top free agents remaining on the market this offseason. The 25-year-old, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, spent last season with the Miami HEAT and is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Beasley has worked out twice for the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, and today he worked out for the San Antonio Spurs at the team’s practice facility, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Spurs have just 14 guaranteed contracts on their roster, and they have been auditioning players in recent weeks for that last roster spot. In addition to Beasley, they have shown interest in Gustavo Ayon, Jamaal Franklin, Ryan Hollins, Zoran Dragic, Ray Allen and Hakim Warrick among others in recent weeks.

It seemed that restricted free agent Aron Baynes would be San Antonio’s final guaranteed contract, but the two sides haven’t been able to agree to a deal. Now, the big man has reportedly been put on the trade block.

Beasley didn’t play as much as he had hoped with the HEAT last season, averaging just 7.9 points in 15.1 minutes per game. During the postseason, Beasley fell out of Miami’s rotation.

However, he did show some positive signs throughout the 2013-14 campaign. He accepted his limited role with maturity and shot a career-high 49.9 percent from the field. Teams that have expressed interest in Beasley have mentioned that they were impressed by his maturation and efficiency.

Beasley’s camp understands that they need to find the right situation for him, one that will allow him to potentially salvage his NBA career. If he goes to a team and gets cut, or sits at the end of the bench, he may find himself out of the league sooner than later.

With that said, a team like San Antonio, which is a perennial contender and has very strong leadership, could be an excellent spot for Beasley to land. It was these very things that attracted Beasley to Miami last year, since the team was the favorite to win the championship and had a number of players and coaches who were strong presences in the locker room and positive role models.

Beasley will be paid from the Phoenix Suns during the 2014-15 season, since they waived him less than 14 months after agreeing to a three-year, $18 million contract with him during the summer of 2012.

The money coming from the Suns allows Beasley to be patient and wait for the right situation to present itself. He could even wait for the season to begin and sign with a team that needs a scorer after sustaining an injury.

Beasley’s off-the-court issues have no doubt scared some teams away this offseason. When the Suns released him, they cited “personal and professional conduct standards” since he had gotten in trouble several times during his one-year stint with the franchise. While Beasley showed some maturity last year, he still has a lot to prove to teams before they’ll completely look past his previous issues.

Beasley has shown that he can be a productive player in the NBA. He was a double-digit scorer in the first five years of his NBA career, and he averaged 19.2 points during the 2010-11 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kings, Rockets Finalize Terry Trade

The Sacramento Kings today acquired guard-forward Alonzo Gee, guard Scotty Hopson and a trade exception from the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Jason Terry and a pair of future second-round draft selections, according to Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro. This trade was consummated awhile back, but wasn’t made official until this afternoon.

Gee joins the Kings after spending four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-11 – 2013-14) following stints in Washington, Toronto and San Antonio. In 277 career NBA contests, the University of Alabama standout is averaging 7.9 points (.451 FG%, .329 3pt%, .773 FT), 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 24.1 minutes per game. His contract is non-guaranteed for the 2014-15 season.

Undrafted out of the University of Tennessee, Hopson appeared in two contests for Cleveland last season before being traded to the Rockets during the offseason. His contract is non-guaranteed for the 2014-15 season.

Terry, a 15-year NBA veteran, has accrued career averages of 15.4 points (.446 FG%, .379 3PT%, .846 FT%), 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.31 steals and 32.5 minutes per game in 1,136 contests with the Atlanta Hawks (1999-2004), Dallas Mavericks (2004-2012), Boston Celtics (2012-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-14) and Kings (2013-14). He missed the final 28 games last season while rehabilitating a left knee injury.

HARMEN Becomes Audio Partner of NBA

The NBA and HARMEN International today announced a comprehensive multi-year marketing and merchandising partnership that will make the company the official headphone, speaker and audio partner of the NBA, WNBA, NBA Development League and USA Basketball.

The new marketing and consumer products partnership will focus on HARMAN’s JBL brand and will provide fans with enhanced audio experiences both in the arena and at home.  HARMAN’s products will also be featured at NBA events worldwide and integrated into league operations.  HARMAN will provide JBL and other HARMAN products to players and coaches.

Additionally, as early as this holiday season, HARMAN will produce NBA-branded audio products for fans around the world.  The products will include team- and player-branded headphones and portable speakers.

“As a global leader known for creating and developing the best audio products on the market, we are honored to welcome HARMAN to the NBA family,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “This groundbreaking partnership showcases the intersection of technology and entertainment, and provides our tech-savvy fans with another way to further connect with their favorite team and players.”

“HARMAN is extremely proud to become the first official audio partner of the NBA and excited to elevate the NBA basketball experience for fans around the world wherever they enjoy the sounds of the game – at the arena, in their homes, in their cars, or on the go,” said HARMAN Chairman, President and CEO Dinesh Paliwal.  “Recognizing the convergence of music, sports, technology and entertainment, the NBA and HARMAN are ideal partners to develop powerful marketing programs and exciting co-branded audio products that will engage and inspire a new generation of fans.”

HARMAN will present the NBA All-Star Entertainment Series, bringing the excitement of the musical performances at State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and during pregame introductions and the halftime show at the NBA All-Star Game to fans in the arena and watching at home.  HARMAN also will conduct significant activities at many other marquee events across the NBA, WNBA, NBA D-League, and USA Basketball, including: NBA All-Star Jam Session, Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star, NBA D-League All-Star and the USA Basketball Global Exhibition Tour.