Michael Beasley rumors: Indiana Pacers to pursue Beasley?

May 28, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley (8) goes up for a shot while being guarded by Indiana Pacers forward David West (21) during the fourth quarter in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

On Friday night, the Indiana Pacers were dealt a devastating blow when their best player, swingman Paul George, suffered a lower right leg fracture, which has since been diagnosed as an open tibia-fibula fracture. He has already had surgery on the leg and he will now likely miss the entire 2014-2015 season. The Pacers have been looking at a variety of ways to replace him and recently Miami Heat free agent forward Michael Beasley has been brought up on connection with the Pacers.

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Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders believes how the Pacers replace George depends on their plan going forward.

"It really depends what the Pacers want to do now. Like a lot of these scenarios, it depends what trades are available. Do any contenders want to trade for David West, and would they give up anything decent for him considering he has a couple years left on his contract at about $12 million per? He’s really going to be the lynchpin of any trade to rebuild effort, because of his age it’s hard to conceive of him being a Pacer when they are next ready to contend with George likely out all year and potentially not quite himself at the start of next year. So let’s take a look at potential destinations for him. The idea would be to get rid of West, and possibly George Hill and even Hibbert (who can be a free agent at the end of this year), be bad this year, and then reload with a draft pick. That said, one must remember that the Pacers have struggled in that market, and that truly rebuilding and being bad may not be an option for them monetarily."

Beasley averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 55 games last season. He shot 49.9% from the floor, 38.9% from beyond the arc and 77.2% from the free throw line. In his six-year career, he has played for the Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.

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