Malik Beasley is reportedly no longer part of a gambling probe according to Shams Charania of ESPN, which could open the door for his return to the Detroit Pistons.
Beasley maintained his innocence throughout the process and even made predictions that he would be back in the league next season.
He also promised he’d be coming back with a chip on his shoulder ready to “destroy” anyone in front of him.
Beasley may get his chance now that he’s been officially cleared, as there were a number of teams in contact with his agents according to ESPN.
Whether that will be with Detroit is another issue, as there are a couple of things that may prevent a reunion.
Malik Beasley’s next contract and the Detroit Pistons roster
The Pistons were reportedly prepared to offer Beasley a deal in the 3 years/$42 million range but a lot has changed since then. The Pistons had to pull the offer to wait out the federal gambling probe, so even though Beasley was cleared, the accusation cost him a bag of money.
Some outlets chose to write about Beasley’s personal life during all of this, revealing details that may keep him from recovering the money he lost.
The Pistons had to pivot to Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson, so they don’t have much to offer Beasley anyway. According to Bobby Marks, the Pistons can only offer Beasley $7.2 million and there are other teams that could potentially offer more.
A reunion at that price would be great for the Pistons, who already got a huge year out of Beasley at a discount, but there are questions about how he fits onto the roster with all these new additions.
The Pistons do have an open roster spot, and you can never really have too much shooting, as Detroit has to replace over 600 made 3-point shots from the loss of Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schroder.
But given Beasley is not a lead guard, it’s hard to see how he fits into the bench unit without taking minutes from either LeVert or Ron Holland. It’s possible coach Bickerstaff could use bench lineups with LeVert, Beasley, Robinson, Holland and Stewart and it would be nice to have more than one elite 3-point shooter.
There is a lot to consider for the Pistons, and it may be a moot point if some other team offers Beasley more money, as Beasley is an unrestricted free agent and can go to the situation that is best for him, which may no longer be Detroit.