Fans will be glad to hear that both Malik Beasley and the Detroit Pistons are interested in a reunion after his monster season that helped lead the team to its first playoff appearance in six years.
Beasley was not only an outstanding 3-point shooter who finished second in the league in total long-range makes, but he emerged as a veteran leader whose work ethic and infectious energy helped set the tone for the roster.
Beasley had a mediocre run in the playoffs, but his importance to the team can’t be overstated, as he was their second-leading scorer and when he was on, the Pistons were tough to beat.
When you factor in his $6 million contract, there is no doubt that Beasley was one of the best value players in the NBA, a guy who made a big impact on a team-friendly salary.
Beasley is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, one of the cons of a one-year deal, as the Pistons weren’t able to extend him during the season.
But fans will be happy to know there is mutual interest in Beasley returning to Detroit according to HoopsHype. Here is what Beasley had to say about his time with the Pistons and the possibility of returning:
“In my whole nine years in the NBA, I never had this much fun coming to the gym...I’ve been through a lot of stuff just this year alone. Every day coming in was probably the best thing that happened to me. Coach J.B. (Bickerstaff) and Trajan (Langdon) did an amazing job making sure when you come in here, it’s fun, it’s energetic, and it’s a place where you want to be. It’s definitely a place I want to be.”
This is good news for the Pistons’ faithful, as Beasley is a fan favorite who we’d love to see back in Detroit, but can the Pistons afford to keep him?
Can the Pistons pay Malik Beasley in free agency?
The good news is that Beasley wants to come back. The bad news is that he’s about to get a substantial raise from this season, something the Pistons are going to have to be careful with.
As much as they would love to retain Beasley, if some other team makes him a monster offer, the Pistons should probably walk away. As good as Beasley is as a 3-point shooter, he’s really a specialist in that area and doesn’t offer much else if he is not hitting shots, as we saw for much of the playoff series against the Knicks.
As painful as it would be, there is a number that is too much for Beasley.
How much can the Pistons offer Malik Beasley?
Given that Detroit only has non-Bird rights on Beasley, they can offer him $7.2 million without using cap space or the non-taxpayer MLE which starts at just over $14 million.
The Pistons do have holes to fill, so using up a big chunk of their available cap space to bring back Beasley might not be the best allocation of their resources.
Beasley isn’t going to take $7.2 million (even though that’s more in line with his value in my opinion), which leaves the MLE.
The Pistons will have to ask themselves if $14.1 million per season is too much for Beasley, and if so, they’d have to look elsewhere. The problem they face is that any shooter in Beasley’s tier is going to cost that much, so it’s either roll the dice on an unproven young player or suck it up and pay Beasley.
I do think this is the route the Pistons will take and that Beasley will end up coming back for somewhere around 2 years/$28 million, which would be a big raise for Beasley but not one that is going to cripple the Pistons’ finances.