“I was the one that made it happen” - Michael Beasley admits he was furious after the Heat traded him for the Big Three
Coming out of Kansas State, Michael Beasley was regarded as one of the best freshman players in the history of college basketball, finishing his single season as the nation’s leading rebounder with 12.4 rebounds per game and the third-best scorer, averaging 26.2 points per game.
Beasley was the consensus First-Team All-American, followed by a National Freshman of the Year title, as well as the Big 12 Player of the Year, joining Kevin Durant as the only freshman to receive both awards.
Due to his immense statistical dominance, talent and offensive prowess, Beasley battled Derrick Rose for the number one draft pick projections. Despite being selected right after him as the second pick by the Miami Heat , Beas was expected to become one of the best players of his generation.
However, that wouldn’t be the case, as off-court instability and a lack of professional focus got the best of him. While he certainly had a respectable 11 seasons in the NBA, averaging 12.4 points per game, he never transcended the superstar potential he once had.
Beasley was in a trade package for the Miami Big Three
During his time with the Heat, Beasley showed promise, earning All-Rookie First Team honors and averaging 14.3 points over his two seasons with the organization. Nevertheless, the team didn’t see him as a future franchise player because of disciplinary issues that became evident early on.
So, when the chance of acquiring LeBron James and Chris Bosh opened up, the Heat didn’t think twice about trading him away.
“Very. Bro, I was the one that made it happen,” said Beasley when asked if he was upset about the trade. “Now, this is why I love Pat Riley. He’s just as honest as they come. Maybe he knew before he was telling me, but he sat me down and said, ‘I’m not trading you. The only way I would trade you is if I got Bosh and Bron at the same time.’ Literally, he said those words to me.”
“I remember being in my house, falling asleep, and waking up to my phone going off. Everybody told me I was going to Minnesota. That was maybe like two, three weeks apart, but when it happened, I was just upset and was like, ‘Damn, man,’” he added.
At least Beasley got the heads up before the decision was made, which is something that isn’t seen quite often in the NBA. As expected, the trade would work for the Heat. For Beas, however, that wouldn’t be the case.
An up-and-down career
After arriving in Minneapolis, Beasley had a career year with the Minnesota Timberwolves , averaging 19.2 points per game in the 2010-11 season, finally showing that he could be a star player. But his down sides were just too much to handle.
With his questionable behavior and a lack of work ethic, on top of that Beasley was considered a defensive liability due to being slightly undersized for the power forward position at 6’8’’, lacking the lateral quickness to defend smaller forwards and the defensive prowess to protect the rim as a four-man.
With that, Beasley was a high-volume isolation scorer who operated in the mid-range, hogging the ball most of the time, averaging just 1.3 assists throughout his career. As the NBA moved toward positionless basketball, emphasizing ball movement and three-point shooting, his playstyle was no longer welcome.
In later years, Beasley bounced around multiple teams, becoming a journeyman. After the loss of his mother, he battled significant mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.
Beasley is several years out of the NBA, dealing with his mental health issues, while also keeping up with the sport that made him who he is. Most recently, Beas became the MVP of the BIG3 league in 2024, and he also appeared on YouTube Basketball, where he beat former NBA player Lance Stephenson in a highly anticipated 1v1 game.
Related: Michael Beasley reveals his basketball idol: "He was the one I admired the most"
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
