Nets sign Beasley, Crawford as substitute players

The Brooklyn Nets signed forward Michael Beasley and veteran guard Jamal Crawford as substitute players for the remainder of the season, the team announced Thursday.

Beasley appeared in 26 contests for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, registering seven points per game in a limited role. The former No. 2 overall pick would add some additional frontcourt depth after the losses of DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince.

It's been more than a year since Crawford last suited up for an NBA contest. He recorded 51 points, five boards, and five assists in the Phoenix Suns' 2018-19 season finale.

The Nets' backcourt was thin heading into the NBA return, as All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is out due to injury and Spencer Dinwiddie will be sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19.

Crawford was one of the league's top reserve players during the peak of his career. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year averaged 7.9 points across 64 appearances in his last full NBA campaign.

The Nets sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 30-34 record and are only a half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic. The ninth-seeded Washington Wizards are six games back of Brooklyn and can force a play-in tournament for the East's final playoff spot if they are within four games of the No. 8 seed at the conclusion of the seeding games.