News just broke that Malik Beasley is no longer under investigation for gambling, which opens the door for a possible return to the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons have plenty to consider, as does Beasley, who is an unrestricted free agent and can sign anywhere he chooses.
There was obvious mutual interest in a contract this summer before all of this nonsense broke out but that may have cooled on Detroit’s side after they moved on without him, trading for Duncan Robinson to replace some of his shooting.
But Detroit did leave a roster spot open, possibly for this very reason, but it creates an immediate roster crunch that would probably require another trade.
Detroit Pistons trade rumors: If Beasley returns, Marcus Sasser is out
The Pistons have a nine-man rotation that is more or less set at this point, so there were already precious few minutes left over for the fringe guys like Marcus Sasser, Paul Reed and the recently signed Javonte Green.
Adding Beasley to an already-crowded group of guards (I haven’t even mentioned the two-way guys or recent draft pick Chaz Lanier) would give the Pistons plenty of depth, but someone would have to feel the pinch and the player is most likely Marcus Sasser.
While Sasser does offer more shot creation than Beasley, who takes most of his shots off catch-and-shoot, Sasser is not in the same tier when it comes to high-volume 3-point shooting.
Sasser would likely be pushed out of the rotation entirely, in which case the Pistons may choose to trade him to a team where he could actually play. There isn’t much cap money sitting around but a team like Brooklyn could take a flyer on Sasser and send the Pistons a second-round pick and some cap relief.
It’s all theoretical at this point, as we have no idea if the Pistons are even interested. Beasley may also want a fresh start in a new city. There are other teams that could offer him more money, which may be his priority after he lost out on a reported $42 million deal with the Pistons.
There are a lot of moving parts to this story, but I am certain the Pistons are at least weighing their options with Beasley and figuring out what that would mean for the rest of their roster.
But if Beasley comes back, and with the Pistons only having until October to exercise Sasser’s team option, a trade of Sasser is not out of the question.