The only negative for the Detroit Pistons heading into this season was the gambling investigation that kept Malik Beasley off the roster.
The Pistons were set to offer the league’s premier sharpshooter a 3-year deal, but that fell through when it was revealed he was under federal investigation for gambling. It seems as though the feds have given up on Beasley (for now), but he is still under investigation by the league, and until that is over, he won’t be back according to beat writer Omari Sankofa II:
“... he’s still under investigation in the NBA’s gambling probe, and no team will sign him until it is resolved. If or when that happens, the Pistons have his non-Bird rights and will be able to offer a salary starting at $7.2 million.”
The league is sure taking its sweet time, as I don’t think the investigation into the JFK assassination lasted this long, but there is no indication Beasley will be back anytime soon. Luckily, the Beasley situation didn't end up being a distraction, as the Pistons found a worthy replacement in Duncan Robinson (who is a better all-around player) and kept winning.
Detroit certainly could have used Beasley this season, especially in the playoffs, but there was some optimism buried in the information about his ongoing investigation.
If Malik Beasley comes back, the Pistons will have first shot at him
The Pistons do still have Beasley’s non-bird rights, which means they can offer Beasley up to 120% of his previous salary or the league minimum, whichever is bigger, a number that lands at around $7.2 million for the Pistons.
Given that Beasley hasn’t played in the NBA for more than a year (Bad Bunny’s league doesn’t count, sorry), that number should be more than enough to sign Beasley, and the Pistons can do it even if they are over the salary cap, so they can wait until the last minute to see if he’s cleared.
The NBA is too busy worrying about tanking and how to make it more difficult and expensive for fans to watch games, so I doubt Beasley is their top priority, but I would also imagine they would want to wrap this thing up before next season.
At some point, fairness to Beasley must be considered here, so they need to either charge him with something and boot him out of the league or end this thing already.
If this investigation ends favorably for Beasley, I could see a reunion late in the offseason. The Pistons aren’t going to wait for him or even make him part of the plans, but with his non-Bird rights, they can take care of all of their other business first.
It would be nice to see Beasley back in Detroit, but either way, the Pistons have already moved on, so he will be an afterthought if anything.
Add us as a preferred source on Google