The Detroit Pistons seem to be holding a roster spot for Malik Beasley, who is still under both league and federal investigation for gambling, but if that doesn’t work out, they are going to need a backup plan, and one may have just become available in Keon Johnson.
The Brooklyn Nets have waived guard Keon Johnson. He averaged 10.6 points in 79 games for Brooklyn last season.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 17, 2025
Beasley’s saga has been well documented but there are signs of a return to Detroit. They are mostly coming from Beasley himself in the form of cryptic Instagram posts and videos of him with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.
There is a sticking point to Beasley’s return, which is he is still the “subject” of a federal investigation and the NBA is running one of their own, so we don’t know when or even if Beasley will be able to play next season.
For now, the Pistons seem comfortable waiting it out, but they do have an open roster spot, so if the Beasley investigation lingers, they may look elsewhere.
Detroit Pistons free agency: Keon Johnson and the final roster spot
The Nets had to cut someone after drafting about 50 players this offseason, but it was somewhat surprising to see Johnson waived, as he averaged 10 points and four rebounds for them last season in 79 games.
I liked Johnson coming out of college, as he is an elite athlete with an insane vertical who projected as a 3-and-D type in the NBA.
He is a hard-nosed defender who is strong enough to guard multiple positions, but so far, the shooting hasn’t been there, as he’s averaged just 32.4 percent on 3-point shots in his NBA career.
He did shoot more of them last season, averaging five attempts per game, so there is hope his shot will catch up to his defense at some point.
The Pistons don’t particularly need another wing who can’t shoot, but Johnson might be worth a flyer as a developmental project, as he is only 23 years old.
It’s likely that some team will scoop him up, as Johnson has shown enough to warrant another NBA contract. It probably won’t be from the Pistons, but he wouldn’t be a terrible backup option if things with Beasley go south and he’s still available.
The Pistons are in a holding pattern while they wait out two investigations and may be content to stay there. Trajan Langdon wants to have roster flexibility so it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Pistons start the season with an open roster spot.