Over the last month, Michael Beasley's future with the Phoenix Suns has become more and more uncertain. The 24-year old was recently arrested for possession of marijuana, leaving the forward in hot water with the front office. After the team traded away veteran Caron Butler, Beasley could be the next player out.
Fox Sports Arizona reports Phoenix general manager Ryan McDonough expects a resolution to come in the next few weeks regarding the status of Beasley. While the forward recently signed a three-year contract worth $18 million, the Suns are prepared to let him go.
In the report, McDonough notes that Beasley's struggles on and off the court have the team in tough spot and a resolution is needed before training camp and workouts start for the team. Beasley would not be missed on the court. He averaged a career-low 10.1 points per game in 2012, shooting 40.5 percent from the field. He is a productive swingman, but too many off-the-court issues have clouded that.
A resolution could mean a number of things for Beasley. Phoenix could simply cut him and just eat the $9 million left on his contract. That certainly is not ideal, but it would get Beasley's off the books. McDonough could just blame the hit on a bad contract created by the old ownership. The Suns could attempt to trade Beasley. It is a longshot, but not impossible. They did have the stretch provision, meaning they could pay Beasley in small increments over the next five years, but the deadline to use the new CBA clause was Aug. 31.
Phoenix has cap space to spare so simply releasing Beasley could be the best option. McDonough even considering getting rid of the forward pretty much makes his release a guarantee. There will be very few teams interested enough in Beasley to take on the $9 million contract. His skillset does not mirror his No. 2 overall draft pick status.
Beasley is the fourth-highest paid player in Phoenix, hurting his status even more. With 15 players signed to partially guaranteed contracts, the release would offer a lot of relief to the Suns. Getting rid of Beasley might not be the only move, as The Arizona Republic reports Channing Frye is also at risk of getting waived.