Former Knick Michael Beasley is looking ahead to a return to the NBA, but on Monday, he took a look back on his year in New York, and how the Knicks “hurt his feelings” during contract negotiations the following season.
Beasley, now 33 years old, appeared in 74 games for New York during the 2017-18 season, and felt he had shown enough to earn a contract that would keep him on the east coast for years to come, where he could be closer to his mother, who was battling cancer in Baltimore. Instead, Beasley found himself on the other side of the country, playing what as of now was his final NBA season with the Lakers.
“The Knicks hurt my feelings,” Beasley told HoopsHype. “I had something to play for. Off the court, nobody knows this, but I found out my mom had cancer going into training camp in New York. That was extra motivation. I used to drive down after every game and every practice to Baltimore and kick it with my mom.
“New York hurt my feelings so badly. I really wanted to stay in New York for the rest of my career. I had a good year. We were losing, but I was a bright spot. I used to drive after every practice and every game or get on the train to see my mom because she had cancer.”
Beasley felt he would be able to stay in New York and near his mom after averaging 13.2 points per game with the Knicks, his highest mark since the 2010-11 season with the Timberwolves. Beasley shot 50.7 percent from the field in his lone season in New York, but it wasn’t enough to be offered the contract he felt he deserved.
“At the end of the season in the exit meeting, the flight home from the last game was when they fired Jeff Hornacek,” Beasley recalled. “They had Corey Gaines do our exit meetings. I walk in, and he runs down my stats for the year. In my mind, I’m like, ‘You finally did it, got a nice contract, and solidified yourself a home for at least three years.’
“I patted myself on the back, walking into the exit meeting with Steve Mills. I walk into the meeting, and they look at me to my face and say, ‘Michael Beasley is one of the most talented players that ever put on a Knicks jersey, but how does that help us win?’ This is one of the times I wish I had more confidence because I was literally lost for words. That confused me.”
Beasley’s strong season didn’t help the Knicks win, as they finished 29-53, but the team had problems that ran far deeper than Beasley. Kristaps Porzingis could only appear in 48 games, while Enes Freedom, Frank Ntilikina, Kyle O’Quinn, Lance Thomas and Courtney Lee all played in more than 70 games. Simply put, New York’s playing time was largely made up by players who simply weren’t ever going to take the team to the playoffs, but Beasley still felt he would have a chance to be back for the continued rebuild.
“Free agency came up, and we were negotiating,” Beasley said. “While we were negotiating my contract, it shocked me that they didn’t want to give me more than one year. They wanted me to come back to New York on a veteran minimum deal. I was like, that’s not fair. At least give me $1 million more. While we were negotiating, they signed Mario Hezonja. They gave him my number, and they gave him the contract I asked for, which forced me to sign in Los Angeles with the Lakers.”
Hezonja signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with New York, while Beasley signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Lakers. Hezonja appeared in 58 games with the Knicks and averaged 8.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor. Beasley only played in 26 games and made two starts for Los Angeles, averaging 7.0 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field.
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