Beasley signs rookie contract, injures chest

Jul 2, 2008 - 8:17 PM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Miami Heat rookie Michael Beasley certainly had an eventful day Wednesday.

Hours after suffering a chest injury in Miami's first summer league practice, Beasley signed his rookie contract with the Heat.

The second overall selection in last Thursday's NBA draft, Beasley will receive $3.6 million this season, $3.87 million next season and $4.14 million in 2010-11 in accordance with the NBA's rookie pay scale.

The new deal likely was a welcome bit of good news for Beasley, who was struck in the chest by an unintentional elbow during a defensive drill 45 minutes into the afternoon practice session.

Team officials did not believe that the injury was serious, claiming that the 19-year-old Beasley stopped practicing for precautionary reasons. The 6-8 forward immediately was taken to doctors for observation.

"It was a physical practice and he took a shot to the chest," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "Really, it was just precautionary. He probably could have finished if it was the regular season, but we wanted to be safe."

Spoelstra said he does not expect Beasley to miss next week's summer league schedule in Orlando, where the Heat will play five games in five days.

Beasley averaged 26.2 points and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds in his one and only season at Kansas State, scoring over 30 points on 13 occasions.