The news of Malik Beasley being cleared from federal investigations has sparked a lot of debate amongst Pistons fans, including his potential fit on the current roster. Of course, there is also the matter of whether he’ll even sign with the Pistons over other teams. But what is undeniable is that there is still a spot in the Pistons’ long-term plans for Malik Beasley.
Detroit Pistons: Flexibility for Malik Beasley
The Pistons had to quickly pivot to potentially replace Beasley’s contribution when news of the investigation initially broke. Their main replacement for his role came in the form of former Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson. Robinson is a proven sniper with years of long-range gunning that will surely be respected by defenses around the league.
But an interesting tidbit of Robinson’s contract is that it’s only fully guaranteed for one season. Although his full contract amounts to three years and $48 million, only the first season is fully guaranteed and the second season is partially guaranteed for just $2 million. This contract setup gives the Pistons lots of flexibility with Robinson, and who they want to employ in his role.
For Malik Beasley, the Pistons were reportedly willing to offer him a 3-year contract for $42 million. This would have made him one of the only players on the Pistons under full contract three years from now, along with Cade Cunningham. Even other young players with longer contracts such as Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland have team options on their deals, but there were no reports of a team option on Beasley’s three years.
It appears that Beasley showed Trajan Langdon enough for him to consider the 28-year old guard a key part of the Pistons’ plans for the future. It’s a reasonable inclusion as he’s still squarely in his prime and coming off one of the best shooting seasons ever. His playstyle is also one that can age well and maintain a high level even as athleticism wanes going into his 30s.
Movement shooting is a premium skill for role players in the NBA, and the Pistons will always need at least one guy filling that role with their athletic core. Beasley appeared to be a great selection for that role, and he played it brilliantly last season.
The Pistons can’t sign him to a substantial long-term contract this offseason - the best they could do is four years and about $31 million. But they might be able to come to terms on a one-year deal for this coming season, with an agreement to sign a longer contract for more money next offseason. It might be the best option for locking in Beasley as part of the longer-term core, if he’s willing to entertain the idea.