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Former New York Knicks Wing Requests Trade After Draft News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By JH Kubicek | Last updated May 19, 2025 5:57 PM ET

The New York Knicks have been swept up in their recent success on the backs of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, although fans are all too familiar with their revolving door of a roster for most of the 21st century.

One of the more eccentric, and often exciting, former Knicks is Michael Beasley, the highly-touted wing from Kansas State. He played 11 NBA seasons, and his last full campaign came in 2017-18, when he played 74 games for the Knicks.

Beasey averaged a solid 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Knicks, shooting 39.5 percent from deep for the 29-win team. After his NBA career, he played in the Chinese and Puerto Rican leagues before joining Ice Cube's Big3 league, where he plays for the Miami 305.

Last week, the 305 selected former NBA point guard Lance Stephenson first overall. Beasley and Stephenson have a long-standing beef, with multiple videos showing the two trash-talking and getting physical. In the small Big3 locker rooms, Beasley seems to want nothing to do with Stephenson and is pursuing a trade.

.@TheBig3 News: Michael Beasley — of the expansion Miami 305 team — is upset the franchise drafted Lance Stephenson with the No. 1 overall pick and is contemplating requesting a trade, sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/SSyGJ1vrtN
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 19, 2025

The two played on the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018-19 season, which was Beasley's last in the league, although there didn't seem to be any "beef" between the two.

Stephenson and Beasley have a one-on-one game scheduled for June 6, with the winner receiving $100,000. Tensions are high as they promote the "battle" between two former role-players, which will likely fly under the radar.

It's a nice reminder for Knicks fans just how far they've come in recent years. Beasley led them to only 29 wins, and now they are four games away from the NBA Finals.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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