The Los Angeles Lakers and their 26-year-old generational talent Luka Dončić will aim to compete for an NBA title in a stacked Western Conference next season.
Dončić and 21-time All-Star LeBron James will lead the way for a team looking to bounce back after a demoralizing first-round elimination at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025 postseason, but the Lakers’ lack of three-point shooting assistance might eventually spell disaster.
Fortunately, one of the NBA’s most productive three-point specialists, Malik Beasley, remains on the open market as a free agent after becoming the subject of a federal gambling investigation that derailed his summer.
After Beasley’s name was reportedly cleared with regard to the probe on Friday, one NBA writer suggested that the Lakers must swoop in to reunite with the shot-happy veteran prior to the beginning of the new season.
“The Los Angeles Lakers need shooting,” FanSided’s Mikail Nakhuda wrote Friday afternoon.
“Malik Beasley is now available. The door is now wide open once again for teams to make a move, and few need his skillset more than the Lakers.”
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“This should be an absolute no-brainer for the Lakers to go after him; however, there is a catch to making a reunion happen.”
“Due to cap restrictions, the Lakers are not even able to offer a minimum deal right now. That would be the case until Jan. 18, unless they clear space via consolidation trade.”
While there are certain financial limitations holding the Lakers back from offering Beasley a deal, the franchise’s general manager Rob Pelinka could still perform a trade to create the cap room necessary to sign him to a minimum contract.
Beasley dominated off of the bench for the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25, as the 6-foot-4 flamethrower averaged 16.3 points and connected on 41.6% of his 9.3 attempts from distance while appearing in all 82 regular season contests.
His excellent shooting season was a far cry from his brief tenure with the Lakers back in 2022-23, when he knocked down only 35.3% of his looks from three-point range spanning 26 appearances.
Beasley’s hypothetical addition to a Lakers roster in need of catch-and-shoot options could prove to elevate the team’s offensive attack.
With Dončić and James at the controls as two of the most prolific play-makers in league history, Beasley would be the beneficiary of a system designed to manufacture great three-point looks off of drive-and-kick actions.
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