When Trajan Langdon took over as president of the Detroit Pistons, he opted for moderate change rather than blowing up the roster.
He added veterans to complement the core, and will spend the season trying to figure it all out. None of players he signed extend past next season, so Langdon has clearly set this team up to make a big move after this year.
He signed Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley and traded for Tim Hardaway Jr., three solid pros who don’t get hurt often and would provide spacing as well as leadership, which they have.
Harris and THJ got most of the attention, as the Pistons signed Beasley late to a one year deal worth $6 million after most of the offseason puzzle pieces were in place.
But it’s Beasley who has made the biggest impact, as he is shooting 41.3 percent from long range on nearly nine attempts per game, making him one of the best high-volume shooters in the game. He’s leading all bench players in 3-pointers made and is getting 16 points per game, so Beasley is living up to expectations and more.
Given his shooting and lowball contract, he’ll be a hot name at the deadline and every contending team with a need for shooting will be calling. So, should the Pistons sell high on Malik Beasley?
Detroit Pistons rumors: Trading Malik Beasley
The Pistons don’t have to make this decision anytime soon, but Beasley is riding a hot wave and is notoriously streaky, so if they are going to move him, doing it during one of his hot streaks would be ideal.
The trade deadline isn’t until February, and by then, the Eastern Conference standings will have shaken out a bit more and the Pistons will have a better understanding of where they stand.
Even though there are plenty of teams that will be interested in Beasley, it’s hard to see the Pistons getting too much for him given he’d be a half-season rental.
If all they are going to get is a couple of second-round picks, then they may as well just keep him and see what happens this season, especially if they are close to the play-in tournament. This season is about development (sigh) but part of that is playing in some meaningful games and Beasley will help that cause.
If the Pistons happen to be way out of it by the trade deadline, then moving Beasley might be more logical, especially given his contract status.
Beasley is on a contract that can’t be extended and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so there is no guarantee he''ll be back, but the caveat is that even if the Pistons traded him, there is a possibility they could re-sign him in free agency.
Beasley seems happy in Detroit and he’s been a big positive on and off the court, so I hope they bring him back long term.
But he has to want that too, and if Beasley doesn’t seem open to a return to Detroit next season, then moving him before he walks for nothing would be smart.
We’ll know more in a few weeks when we see where the Pistons are after a tough stretch in the schedule.
I am hoping Beasley is back, but Trajan Langdon also has to think about asset management and explore how much he could squeeze out of another team.