The dust has settled on the NBA trade deadline and the Detroit Pistons kept their roster intact.
They did add two players, but only subtracted one, Wendell Moore Jr. who was waived for roster space.
But all of the regulars remained, which I was happy about, as this team is building something special and has real chemistry that I didn’t want to see disrupted.
Malik Beasley felt the same, which is why he reportedly asked Trajan Langdon not to trade him at the deadline.
Beasley confirmed as much after last night’s game:
Beasley on asking Trajan not to trade him: “I told him from the jump I want to be here, I want to help build this organization up, I want to be a vet and do everything I can to score, and just get some wins. I’m happy to be here, I want to continue to stay here.” pic.twitter.com/zv1yTJeg7O
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 8, 2025
Beasley not only has family connections in Detroit but has found a real home there as a veteran leader on a young team, a guy who brings work ethic and energy that is contagious to his teammates.
Beasley got his wish and remained in Detroit and he immediately rewarded the Pistons, who are developing a culture that should be appealing in the offseason.
Malik Beasley goes off and the Pistons building a reputation
The Pistons played their only ESPN game of the season last night, and had to do it without Cade Cunningham, who was sitting with a sprained ankle.
With Philly at full strength, this looked like a tough one for the Pistons, but someone forgot to tell them, as Detroit came out with the most energy I’ve seen this season and put an absolute beating on Philly in the first half that was led by Beasley.
The Pistons scored 78 points in the first half, the most of the season, 20 from Beasley, who was an emergency addition to the starting lineup.
It wasn’t just Beasley, as Ausar Thompson stepped up as a ballhandler, Stewart had a brilliant first half, Marcus Sasser contributed at the point (and made his case to stay in the rotation) and even BBall Paul made huge plays in his brief run, racking up two points, four rebounds an assist, steal and a block in just 7 minutes of action, most of it on one play that was a perfect illustration of the Pistons’ hustle.
But it was Beasley who carried the night with 36 points, hitting a big shot every time Philly tried to rally from a 29-point halftime deficit.
Beasley immediately rewarded the Pistons, and given it was a nationally televised game with guys like Harris and Beasley raving about Detroit, this was a great sales pitch for Trajan Langdon, as players notice this stuff.
They notice when a team is building something, when they show loyalty to veteran players and hopefully Detroit will get the rep of a place that does right by its guys and gives them a chance to thrive in their best role.
Beasley will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and there’s nothing the Pistons can do about it, but bringing him back should be a priority, as he has brought a spark to this team that has spread through the roster.
Beasley, Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. have been exactly what this team needed and will be great ambassadors when it comes time to recruit more players.