Michael Beasley of the Guangdong Southern Tigers looks on in the game against the Nanjing Monkey Kings in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, February 28, 2019. /CFP
Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Michael Beasley has joined the Chinese Basketball Association's (CBA's) Shanghai Sharks, reported Shams Charania of The Athletic on Sunday.
Charania revealed that Beasley will get a "seven-figure" deal, but didn't specify the currency. The CBA set a $5-million cap for the total salaries of foreign players in a team for the 2021-22 season.
Beasley was drafted by the Miami Heat with the second-overall pick in 2008, after Derrick Rose, the youngest Most Valuable Player (MVP) in NBA history, and before multi-time All-Star players Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love. That proved how talented Beasley is.
Michael Beasley (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, January 13, 2019. /CFP
He has played for six NBA teams and averaged 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in his career. His highlight season was 2010-11 with the Heat when he scored 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game playing around the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The last time Beasley appeared in the NBA was in the Lakers in the 2018-19 season. He averaged seven points and 2.3 rebounds for the purple and gold in 26 games.
Beasley has played three seasons in the CBA and his first stop in China was at the Sharks in the 2014-15 season. He also played for the Shandong Golden Stars (today's Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin) in the 2015-16 season and the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the 2018-19 season.
Michael Beasley (L) of the Shanghai Sharks shoots in the game against the Beijing Ducks in Beijing, China, November 12, 2014. /CFP
Beasley has averaged 29.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists during his CBA career and won the CBA Championship with the Southern Tigers in 2019.
The Sharks finished the 2021-22 season with a 31-7 record, the second best in the league. They were swept by the Zhejiang Lions in the postseason semifinals. According to local sports media outlet Oriental Sports Daily, the team also signed Melo Trimble who played for the Galatasaray Nef in Turkey's Basketball Super League last season.