Caron Butler Wants to Mentor Michael Beasley

Traded a month ago from the LA Clippers to the Phoenix Suns, 33-year old Caron Butler says he’s willing to serve as a mentor for Michael Beasley. Per NBA.com: “Troubled power forward Michael Beasley is the poster child for everything that’s gone wrong in Phoenix. He was a disgrace on the floor last season, his first after the Suns’ former front-office decision-makers gift-wrapped him a three-year, $18-million contract, and continues to be an embarrassment off it. Investigated for sexual assault in May, Beasley was arrested two weeks ago when officers detected pot after pulling him over for speeding. The franchise has not publicly addressed this latest disappointment. The fact is they have two choices: Wipe their hands of him and eat the remaining $9 million he’s guaranteed, or somehow try to help the self-destructive former No. 2 pick, just 24, whose career, and potentially a life outside of prison, is hanging by the threads of a frayed shoelace. ‘I think there’s a lot that can be done to help him and I think one is, and this is not from the organization or anything, but it’s just for the people who are around him and love him most, is just don’t give up on him, try to help him as much as possible, build him up because he’s a star,’ Butler said. ‘He’s a guy that had an unbelievable collegiate career, who came into the NBA as a top-two pick, so the talent is there, it hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s like clay, it just needs to be molded right. Somebody needs to be around him, talking to him and telling him the right things and building him up and keeping nothing but positive energy around him and moving him forward instead of pulling him back.’ Butler, a raging success story born out of an unsavory childhood, arrested numerous times before he turned 15, said if Beasley remains with the team, and if the 6-foot-10, 235-pounder is willing, he will stick by the kid’s side, mentor him, attempt to reach him. At this point, save him from himself. ‘I would stay in his ear, I would definitely stay in his ear,’ Butler said. ‘I would continue to motivate him and I would challenge him night-in and night-out, in practice, just whatever I can do to make him better I would do as a human being, and obviously as a basketball player because I think he has tremendous upside still. He’s just 24 years old.'”