Michael Beasley To Play In China

FEBRUARY 21: Beasley has officially signed with Guangdong, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

FEBRUARY 19: Veteran NBA forward Michael Beasley is set to continue his career overseas, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Beasley is finalizing a deal with China’s Guangdong Southern Tigers. Wojnarowski suggests the deal, which figures to span about two months, will be worth “significant cash.”

Beasley, 30, spent most of the 2018/19 season with the Lakers after signing a one-year contract with the club last summer. However, his role in Los Angeles was limited. He appeared in just 26 games, averaging 7.0 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 10.7 minutes per contest.

The Lakers sent Beasley to the Clippers along with Ivica Zubac in exchange for Mike Muscala in a deadline deal earlier this month. The Clippers subsequently released Beasley, making him an unrestricted free agent.

A previous report from Emiliano Carchia of Sportando has suggested that veteran guard MarShon Brooks was set to replace guard Malcolm Delaney on Guangdong’s roster in China. That deal had yet to be officially finalized, so it’s possible Beasley is filling the spot that Brooks had initially been in line for, but we’ll wait for further confirmation to be sure.

This will be Beasley’s third stint in the Chinese Basketball Association, as he previously spent time with the Shanghai Sharks and the Shandong Golden Stars. While Guangdong is vying for first place in the CBA standings and could make a deep playoff run, Beasley’s season in China still may end before the NBA season does, which would leave the door open for him to return to an NBA team for the postseason.

As for Delaney, he told Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net that he’s in no hurry to sign with another team after leaving Guangdong. Varlas writes that three EuroLeague clubs have been in touch with Delaney, who is hoping for a return to the NBA. He previously spent a pair of seasons with the Hawks from 2016-18.

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