It's Official: Michael Beasley bought out, no longer a Phoenix Sun

Michael Beasley had a very short career with the Suns with few positive highlights.

He DID help the Suns beat the Lakers on "Steve Nash returns" night, which should always stay in our warm-and-fuzzy drawer. But other than that, the highlights were few and far between.

Now, Beasley has worn out his welcome with yet another NBA team. The Suns have waived Michael Beasley and less than a month after his latest marijuana-related run-in with the law:

"The Suns were devoted to Michael Beasley’s success in Phoenix," said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. "However, it is essential that we demand the highest standards of personal and professional conduct as we develop a championship culture. Today’s action reflects our commitment to those standards. The timing and nature of this, and all of our transactions, are based on the judgment of our Basketball leadership as to how best to achieve our singular goal of rebuilding an elite team."

Beasley arrived in Phoenix hoping to resurrect his career and hopefully leave his tumultuous past behind. For reflective purposes, let's take a look at what he said regarding his issues in his introductory press conference last year:

"I realize 10 minutes of feeling good is not really worth putting my life and my career and my legacy in jeopardy so I'm confident to say that part of my career, that part of my life, is over and won't be coming back."

So much for that career and legacy...

Beasley was bought out by the Suns in the following manner:

• 2013-14 contract reduced from $6 million to $4.66 million, a savings of $1.34 million on salary cap and wallet
• 2014-15 contract reduced from $3 million guaranteed to $2.3 million, which will be stretched per the CBA over 3 seasons at $766K per year

I'm really not sure why Beasley elected to forego $2M when it was all but guaranteed the Suns would waive him regardless. The team's silence ever since his latest arrest had been a resoundingly deafening indictment and fans have just been waiting for his release for weeks now. Maybe he felt bad?

Is Michael Beasley's NBA career finished? I highly doubt it. Someone will give another chance to a guy with so much "potential." However, after yet another failure in his career, he will have fewer and fewer chances as he tries to move forward. After five years in the league, it's safe to say that Beasley's journey has been an unfortunate tale of disappointment after he came into the NBA following his lone year at Kansas State, which was one of the best individual seasons in college basketball history. Since then...tragic.

Beasley may be a terribly inefficient basketball player, but he's not a bad guy.  I sincerely hope he gets his life together someday and finds redemption in some form or fashion.

Goodbye Beas. Can't say it's been a pleasure.

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