The Detroit Pistons have exceeded expectations thus far, with a .500 record in January that most people didn’t see coming.
Malik Beasley has been a big reason why, as the sharpshooter has added a dimension the Pistons were missing as high-volume, high-accuracy 3-point shooter who spreads the floor and creates space for Cade Cunningham.
Beasley has been outstanding in that regard, hitting 40 percent of his 9.2 attempts from long range per game and currently 2nd overall in the NBA in 3-pointers made even though he has mostly come off the bench.
Beasley is getting over 16 points per game, and given that he is doing all of it on a one year, $6 million deal, there is no doubt that he has not only been an asset to Detroit but was one of last off-season's best signings, especially when you consider his leadership and the much-needed swagger he brought to a young team.
Those factors will also make him a hot commodity at the trade deadline, and Beasley revealed his thoughts on the matter in a recent interview with Mike Scotto of HoopsHype.
But let’s start with the most common question about Malik Beasley.
Why don’t the Pistons extend Malik Beasley?
I’ve gotten this question a lot while discussing Beasley’s future with the Pistons and the simple answer is, they can’t.
Beasley on a one-year deal, so is ineligible for an extension, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Given the year he is having, he’ll have plenty of suitors, so the Pistons will have to bid on him like everyone else.
He’s enjoyed his time in Detroit (according to him), where he also has family, but with Cade Cunningham’s new deal kicking in, the Pistons will have limited cap space to spend in free agency, so keeping Beasley is no guarantee, especially if the team wants to make a bigger move for a star.
There’s not even a guarantee he’ll make it through the trade deadline and Beasley understands that possibility.
Malik Beasley on his pending free agency
Here’s what Beasley had to say when Scotto asked him about the possibility of coming back to Detroit next season:
“Me and Trajan (Langdon) have been talking a lot. We’re trying to figure out what’s going to happen. I still have to get through this trade deadline. There are some championship teams that want me, but I told Trajan I like where I’m at. He told me about the impact I’ve brought. Hopefully, he agrees. He also told me it’s a business. If a championship team comes with a crazy deal, the business is the business. We’re just waiting for the deadline to go through. After that, I think we’ll start talking about if maybe we can put something together.”
That sounds like a guy who would like to return, but who also understands the business of the NBA.
Will the Pistons trade Malik Beasley?
Coming into the season, I would have guessed yes to this question, but now I am not so sure.
As Beasley said, if there is a “crazy” offer for him, the Pistons will have to consider it and they should, given his pending free agency and the lack of guarantee he’ll be able to return.
What would that look like? A team would likely have to come with a rotation player and a first-round pick for the Pistons to consider moving Beasley, as he’s too valuable to their chances otherwise.
Given his salary, such a deal is not impossible, but most of the title contenders lack first-round picks to give up in a deal and are looking for bigger fish at the trade deadline.
My guess now is that Beasley will not be traded, as that “crazy” offer probably doesn’t exist and his loss would be catastrophic to the Pistons’ chances of making the playoffs this season.
Hopefully, he’ll play out this season in Detroit and decide to return next summer as a free agent, but there are a lot of moving parts, so we’ll have to wait and see how it goes.