The Detroit Pistons' offseason has been derailed by the unexpected Malik Beasley saga. While the two sides seemed set to sign a new deal in free agency that would have kept the veteran shooting guard in Detroit long-term, Beasley was hit with a federal gambling investigation earlier this summer. He was eventually removed from the investigation as a "target," but Beasley remains a "possible subject" in the investigation, keeping his NBA future in limbo.
Technically, Beasley is allowed to sign with any team in free agency since he hasn't been penalized by the league yet. This includes the Pistons, which currently have 14 guaranteed contracts and an open roster spot. In fact, Beasley may have just signaled his desire to return to the Motor City.
Malik Beasley Is Still Hoping for a Pistons Return
Per Robert Snell of The Detroit News, the 28-year-old shooting guard just moved back to his downtown Detroit apartment. Per Beasley's lawyer, the former Piston paid $38,000 in delinquent rent and is now in good standing with the building. Lawyer Steve Haney added that Beasley isn't closing the door on "a possible reunion" with the Pistons.
This is a positive development for Beasley, who was reportedly dealing with serious financial trouble, resulting in his eviction.
For the Pistons, it creates an excellent opportunity to bring in a very capable veteran who was one of the best players on the team last season. Playing all 82 games for Detroit, Beasley had one of the most productive campaigns of his career, hitting 3.9 threes per game on an impressive 41.6% from downtown on his way to averaging 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. His shooting and floor spacing were a big reason why Cade Cunningham finally made the jump to stardom in Detroit.
Despite Tim Hardaway Jr.'s departure, Beasley would continue to come off the bench if he were to re-sign in Detroit. With Jaden Ivey's return and Caris LeVert's arrival, the Pistons have backcourt options, but none are as good a shooter as Beasley, who entered plenty of trust under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff last season.
If Beasley is fully motivated on basketball and his troubles are behind him, he is exactly the type of player the Pistons need to add for their final roster spot. A team-friendly, prove-it deal would have the chance to be one of the best contracts in the league if Beasley plays anywhere near the level he played at last season, when he finished second in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting.