New York Knicks shouldn’t allow Beasley to walk in free agency

When June 1 rolls around, one of the New York Knicks’ top priorities should be making sure that Michael Beasley doesn’t skip town.

When the New York Knicks gave Michael Beasley a one-year, $2.1 million contract last offseason, there were question marks surrounding how he’d fit in the Big Apple.

Rarely has anyone questioned Beasley’s talent, as he’s routinely flashed a unique skill set in the form of a 19.5 career scoring average per 36 minutes.

The issues that have plagued the former Kansas State star have been off the court, as he’s been arrested for marijuana possession as well as the accumulation of multiple driving violations. So excuse any Knicks fans who weren’t ecstatic when he was brought to a place filled with distractions.

To Beasley’s credit, he performed without a hiccup, averaging 13.2 points in just 22.3 minutes per game, swapping time between a bench role and the starting lineup once Kristaps Porzingis went down.

Now, with his contract set to expire on June 1, Beasley will have the freedom to choose from multiple suitors who were impressed by his bounce-back season in New York.

Without much money to spend this summer, bringing Beasley back into the fold could be difficult for general manager Scott Perry to pull off, especially if other teams offer a longer, more lucrative deal.

However, Beasley was an important piece for the Knicks and he could continue to be one moving forward.

With a scorer’s mentality, he’d thrive as the sixth man for New York, capable of providing a spark off the pine. Both he and Trey Burke could turn the Knicks’ bench unit into one of the best in the NBA.

At 6’9″ and 235 pounds with the ability to handle the basketball, Beasley is the prototypical hybrid forward in today’s NBA, capable of bringing versatility and spacing with a 39.5 three-point percentage in 2017-18.

When Porzingis returns from his injury, the Knicks could play both he and Beasley together, forming a dynamic offensive frontcourt that sacrifices little to nothing on the defensive end, especially with the alternative being Enes Kanter.

On top of his logical fit donning the orange and blue, Beasley appears to be done with bouncing around the NBA. Having played for six teams in a 10-year stretch, he’s shown a craving for the stability of a franchise that actually believes in him.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Beasley said the following:

"“One thing I do think about it is me being tired of moving — having a long-time home,’’ Beasley added. “I don’t want to move anymore.’’"

There’s this myth that all NBA players want to play at Madison Square Garden, but after consistently whiffing on big-name free agents, we’ve found that to be a false narrative.

Beasley has proven to be one of the few players who has shown a desire to stay in New York—not running from the pressure that’s scared off so many.

Would this mean taking less money in order to stay? There’s no way for us to know until the time comes, as the allure of a larger payout might be too much for him to turn down.

Given New York’s belief in him, though, it wouldn’t be so surprising for Beasley to give them a discount. This doesn’t mean that the Knicks should look to bring back Beasley only to appease his desires.

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They should give him a long-term contract because, with his versatile scoring capabilities, he’d be an excellent asset moving forward, one who relishes the opportunity to be a member of the New York Knicks.