Miami Heat News: Heat Won’t Exercise Option to Retain Michael Beasley

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It would seem Michael Beasley’s third stint with the Miami Heat has come to an end.

Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report has reported through Twitter that the Heat will not be exercising their option to bring back Beasley for the 2015-16 season.

The team held an option to bring back the veteran small forward at a salary of just under $1.3 million for the 2015-16 season, but with the selection of Justise Winslow at the No. 10 overall pick in this past Thursday’s draft, it made Beasley expendable.

The former No. 2 overall pick was signed in late February after Chris Bosh was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a blood clots ailment. As the Heat’s top offensive option off the bench, he averaged 8.8 points in 26 appearances, including a season-high 34 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the season-finale victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, with Luol Deng still a possibility to return to the Heat, and with Winslow, Henry Walker and James Ennis as the other small forwards on the roster, there was just very little room to retain Beasley.

Considering his positive relationship with the organization and Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, the seven-year veteran is always a possibility to return to the team at some point during the season if the Heat need help.
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D.J. Siddiqi grew up in the heart of South Florida in Broward County. Growing up in South Florida during the late 90's and 2000's, D.J. witnessed the Pat Riley years where the Miami Heat faced off with the New York Knicks all the way to the painful late 2000's seasons where the Heat were a one-man team with Dwyane Wade. D.J. has closely followed the Heat over the past decade-and-a-half, and unfortunately witnessed Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals in person when the Dallas Mavericks overcame a 15-point deficit to knock off the Heat. D.J. has writing experience as a columnist with sites such as Bleacher Report and Rant Sports, and he is proud to bring his knowledge of the Heat and the NBA to Heat Nation.