The Lakers added one more veteran to their roster on Friday, signing forward Michael Beasley to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million, according to people familiar with the deal who were not authorized to speak publicly.
Beasley joins an overhauled roster headlined by LeBron James, along with several other veterans the Lakers have signed to one-year deals: guards Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and centre JaVale McGee.
Beasley, 29, is a former No 2 overall draft pick joining his seventh team in 11 seasons. He jump-started his career last season with the New York Knicks, averaging 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 74 games. He shot 50.7 percent from the field, 39.5 percent on 3-pointers and 78 percent from the line.
Beasley was drafted by Miami out of Kansas State in 2008 but never got to win championships with James. He was traded to Minnesota on July 12, 2010, just four days after James announced he was taking his talents to South Beach.
Beasley returned to Miami in James’ last season there and played 55 games, but just four in the postseason, where the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals and lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
Beasley bounced around the NBA, getting a third stint in Miami, and played in China. Despite his promise and potential, he’s never played more than two consecutive seasons with the same team. He signed a three-year contract with Phoenix in 2012 but was waived a year later after an arrest for marijuana possession.
Beasley’s reputation has suffered over rumours of marijuana use, something he has spoken out against in recent years.
“My past is my past,” Beasley said last year, according to the New York Post. “They keep harping on it. Everyone wants me to grow up and learn from my past, learn from my mistakes. But you guys should do the same thing.
“I’m years removed from any marijuana incident or incident period. But it’s all anybody speaks about. I’ve grown up. Now it’s time for you to grow up.”

Ferrell to join Kings
Free agent guard Yogi Ferrell will sign with the Sacramento Kings for two years and $6.2 million, according to a Yahoo Sports report, hours after he spurned a reported deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks.
Ferrell’s agent, Cervando Tejeda, told Yahoo Sports eight hours before news of the Kings’ agreement that his client, after sleeping on it, decided to back out of a two-year, $5.3 million deal he agreed to with the Mavericks.
The Mavericks rescinded Ferrell’s $2.9 million qualifying offer last Friday, a move that made the 25-year-old an unrestricted free agent. The move had been viewed as a formality with Ferrell close to agreement on the new deal that averaged less annually ($2.65 million) than the qualifying offer. Ferrell averaged 10.2 points while playing in all 82 games for the Mavericks last season.