The Detroit Pistons could circle back on Malik Beasley now that he is reportedly no longer under federal investigation for gambling, and if they do, Javonte Green may walk away with the easiest payday of his life.
It’s news that came out of nowhere, though it is possible the Pistons saw this coming and left an open roster spot for Beasley just in case.
The problem they face is that they can now only offer Beasley $7.2 million after reportedly having a multi-year deal on the table worth $42 million before news of the investigation broke.
The Pistons would also have difficult roster decisions to make if Beasley did come back, which may force them to trade a player like Marcus Sasser.
But Detroit does have another option, one that may be an easier alternative to trading Sasser.
Detroit Pistons roster: Cutting Javonte Green
The ink on the contract the Pistons just signed with free-agent Javonte Green isn’t even dry yet, but if Detroit does want to bring Beasley back, Green may never play a minute in Detroit.
He was a long shot to get regular rotation minutes anyway, and if Beasley came back the Pistons would suddenly have 12 players fighting for 10 spots.
Detroit could just cut Green and eat his salary, which is only partially guaranteed for next season.
Details of the Green contract made it low risk for the Pistons, as he is only guaranteed $925,000 next season, a number they might be willing to eat right now if Beasley agrees to return on another lowball contract.
The Pistons have a lot to think about, and there are other teams that might try to swoop in on Beasley, so they won’t have long to do it. Beasley was one of the best 3-point shooters in the league last season and there are plenty of teams that could use his services.
But he may not find a better deal than the one the Pistons can offer, and he did seem to enjoy his time in Detroit last year, where he has family and meshed well with his young teammates.
It’s the roster situation that may concern Beasley, as there may not be the kind of role for him that existed last season even if the Pistons were to make another trade or cut Javonte Green.
Green may get to live out my dream of making a ton of money to do nothing, but we’ll have to wait and see if the Pistons still have interest in bringing Beasley back after all of the chaos this offseason.