Knicks not the only team that wants Beasley
Michael Beasley was back at the Knicks training facility in Tarrytown last week reuniting with David Fizdale.
Beasley had two stints in Miami with the new Knicks coach — from 2008-10 and 2013-15. Fizdale was a Miami assistant then.
“He likes him a lot,’’ said a source close to Beasley.
Whether the 6-foot-9 Beasley gets to play for Fizdale is up in the air. The 29-year-old forward becomes a free agent July 1 and is coming off a statistically heady 2017-18 campaign.
According to an NBA source, the Hawks and Suns have interest in Beasley and both clubs have cap space. Beasley has a home in Atlanta and is said to be intrigued.
The Suns are looking for bench scoring and a veteran to help their young core. Beasley played in Phoenix once before — in 2012-13 — and didn’t fare well on or off the court as he was released after a marijuana-possession arrest.
Those concerns are in the past. At least five teams are expected to vie for Beasley, who made his enigmatic reputation disappear as a Garden favorite when he played for the veteran’s minimum ($2.3 million) last season.
Golden State’s Kevin Durant expressed interest in playing with Beasley in January (they are friends from Maryland) but he would have to accept their taxpayer mid-level exception of $4.6 million.
Knicks brass want Beasley to re-sign but will have to use either all or a portion of their $8.6 million mid-level exception. Beasley started at power forward after Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL in early February and the 7foot-3 Latvian’s return is a giant mystery. At best, Porzingis will be back by Christmas — if at all — leaving the starting powerforward position wide open.
Even though the Hawks and Suns could outbid the Knicks, an NBA source believes if the Knicks offer Beasley their entire $8.6 million — even on a oneyear deal — it may be satisfactory.
“He definitely wants to come back to New York and play for Fizdale,’’ the source close to Beasley said. “Fizdale is another plus. But it’s still a business.’’