1. Michael Beasley
Along with Wright, the next attempt to add a dynamic playmaker as a complement to Wade came in 2008, when the Heat had their highest draft pick in franchise history. They’d pick second after the Chicago Bulls and the consensus was that it’d be Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley with the first two picks.
The Bulls went with Rose and the Heat took the athletic lefty from Kansas State to anchor their franchise for the next decade. Those plans of course never took shape as Beasley’s two seasons with the Heat could best be described as uneven.
No draft pick in Miami Heat history came in with as much hype as Beasley, only to perform no better than a bench player. Beasley was inefficient, sloppy and inconsistent, showing flashes of his brilliance that made him the second pick in the draft and then following up with an erratic performance.
Off the court, Beasley was also an issue along with Mario Chalmers, who were both fined repeatedly during their rookie season for violation of team rules such as being late to or missing practice.
It’s safe to say that the Michael Beasley experiment in Miami was a failure, as the Heat traded him to Minnesota for future draft picks in 2010 as they prepared to bring in LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
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Much like Wright, Beasley would get a second chance with the Heat, returning to the ream in 2013 and joining them in the playoffs that season that resulted in a five game loss to the Spurs. Unlike Wright, Beasley returned a third time in 2015, first signing a ten-day contract in February of that year and then staying around for the rest of the season. The Heat mercifully declined his option that offseason.
Beasley played last season for the Milwaukee Bucks, and will be a free agent this summer.