NBA Rumors: Brooklyn Nets Re-Signing Justin Anderson To Replace Michael Beasley


Justin Anderson, who had previously joined the Brooklyn Nets on a 10-day contract earlier this season, is reportedly set to rejoin the club as a substitute ahead of the NBA’s bubble environment restart in Orlando, Florida. The Nets had a spot to fill on their roster in the wake of Michael Beasley having tested positive for COVID-19, after which he left the team.

Anderson’s signing, which has been rumored in league circles ever since news broke of Beasley’s departure, was first reported via Twitter by The Athletic‘s Shams Charania and is expected to be finalized on Saturday. You can view Charania’s tweet here.

The NBA insider similarly shared word of Beasley’s positive test with a tweet on Tuesday that can be seen here.

Perhaps more than any other team participating in the continuation of the 2019-20 campaign amid the ongoing pandemic, the Nets have experienced the spread of the novel coronavirus firsthand. Former NBA MVP Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, Wilson Chandler, Taurean Prince and now Beasley have all tested positive for infection.

Additionally, the club will be without the services of star guard Kyrie Irving — who underwent season-ending surgery on his injured right shoulder in February — for competition in Orlando.

As shared previously by The Inquisitr, Beasley and former three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford signed earlier this month as substitute players for the ailing Nets.

Although Brooklyn’s roster has been decimated by COVID-19, the team still has a strong chance to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. With an eight-game seeding slate awaiting them, the Nets currently hold a 5.5-game lead over the Washington Wizards for the eighth and final playoff seed. Furthermore, the Wizards will be without the services of their leading scorer, Bradley Beal, in Orlando.

To that end, Anderson could make a meaningful contribution for Brooklyn in spite of his substitute status.

While he appeared in just three games for the team in mop-up duty before the expiration of his 10-day contract, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound wing is an experienced pro with meaningful experience, including postseason play. Anderson’s best year came during the 2016-17 campaign when, while splitting time between the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers, he averaged more than seven points and three boards in just 16 minutes per contest.

Even though Anderson doesn’t possess an elite ability to stretch the floor as a shooting guard — his career three-point percentage is just 30 percent — he has been a solid defensive contributor. His club last season, the Atlanta Hawks, were 5.2 points per 100 possessions better defensively when he was on the court, compared to when he sat on the bench.

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