An ex-Milwaukee Bucks marksman is projected to sign a fresh free agent deal with an Eastern Conference contender.
Heading into the summer, shooting guard Malik Beasley appeared poised to fetch a significant pay raise when the 2025 offseason kicked off. Even though the NBA is warming up to the idea of a Beasley return now, his value appears to have cooled off.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report believes that Beasley’s market has been greatly diminished by his off-court issues.
Where will Beasley go?
It had been reported that Beasley was the subject of a federal gambling investigation related to his play in a January 2024 Bucks game, although he has now allegedly been cleared of any wrongdoing, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Still, amidst chatter of unpaid bills to his landlord and barber, he has become a bit of a financial risk to interested parties.
While several teams do still have money to burn on Beasley, Pincus predicts that Beasley will wind up back where he started ahead of the offseason: with the Pistons on a below-value deal.
“Beasley may have a few suitors at the minimum, but Detroit makes too much sense, as the team isn’t near the luxury-tax threshold, has a roster spot and can pay him up to $7.2 million,” Pincus writes.
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Detroit can give him an annual deal starting at $7.2 million (120% of his previous $6 million salary in 2024-25) using Beasley’s Non-Bird rights.
Per Keith Smith of Spotrac, the Brooklyn Nets still have $15 million actual cap space with which they could sign a free agent, while the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, and Sacramento Kings all have more available to them on their non-taxpayer mid-level exceptions than the $7.2 million the Pistons could pony up.
Here are the teams that could offer Malik Beasley more than the $7.2M DET can offer using his Non-Bird rights:
BKN: $15M in cap space
CHA: $14.1M NTMLE
CHI: $14.1M NTMLE
IND: $13.5M of NTMLE
MIA: $7.3M of NTMLE
OKC: $8.5M of NTMLE
SAC: $7.3M of NTMLE
WAS: $14.1M NTMLEGSW could…
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 22, 2025
During his debut season with Detroit in 2024-25, Beasley averaged 16.3 points on .430/.416/.679 shooting splits, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals while playing all 82 games (just 18 starts). He finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind eventual winner Payton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics. Beasley has only received significant votes for that honor once before, when he finished 11th in voting during his 2018-19 season with the Denver Nuggets.
Pincus observes that, even if Beasley has been ostensibly cleared of any wrongdoing for now, “teams remain wary Beasley’s conduct could still violate NBA regulations, regardless of government findings.”
The Pistons themselves moved on from Beasley earlier this summer, when it seemed like the Florida State product could be facing a lengthy suspension from the league. Detroit inked former Miami Heat sharpshooting swingman Duncan Robinson to a generous three-year, $48 million deal. Robinson is three years older than Beasley, but has a fairly well-rounded scoring game these days.
Detroit also brought in another Michigan alum, former Atlanta Hawks wing Caris LeVert, to a two-year, $28.9 million contract this summer.
Under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, last year’s Pistons staged a mighty turnaround, notching a 44-38 record and giving the New York Knicks all they could handle in a chippy six-game first-round playoff series. With the advent of Robinson and LeVert, the possible return of Beasley as well as the injury recovery of guard Jaden Ivey, Detroit could be poised to take another leap into a true frisky playoff squad.
Former No. 1 draft pick Cade Cunningham graduated into an All-Star talent in 2024-25. Will other recent rostered lottery selections like Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson or Ron Holland join him this season?
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