It was widely expected that the Detroit Pistons would be bringing back free-agent Malik Beasley, but that may no longer be the case after news that he is being investigated for gambling by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office according to Shams Charania.
These are just allegations and I am not going to get into speculation, but even an investigation may spell the end of Beasley as a Pistons player and possibly just cost him upwards of $40 million, as it’s going to be hard for any team to touch him with this hanging over him.
Obviously, Beasley is presumed innocent, but with an investigation and possible charges pending, it's hard to see how any team could commit to Beasley right now. This whole thing is depressing. I hope the allegations are false but also have a rant about sports gambling and the NBA’s promotion of it in the chamber for another day.
This dramatically changes the Pistons’ offseason plans.
Detroit Pistons: if Malik Beasley is out, who’s in?
We’ll have to see how the Pistons handle this Beasley news, but for now, let’s assume they go in a different direction.
Detroit was already low on shooting even with Beasley penciled into the lineup, so either Fred Vinson is going to have to literally work miracles, or the Pistons are going to have to look for shooting elsewhere.
That could increase the likelihood of bringing back Tim Hardaway Jr. and with the MLE now suddenly available, the Pistons could choose to bring back Dennis Schroder.
They could also look for outside options like Nickeil-Alexander Walker in free agency or Sam Hauser via trade. Grayson Allen is a shooter the Suns could part ways with, so there will be opportunities if Beasley is no longer an option.
The Pistons have had a quiet offseason so far, staying away from the big moves, talking about continuity and making moves around the fringes, but this Beasley news may force them into more dramatic action, as that is a ton of shooting to replace.
This wasn’t the kind of drama fans were hoping for when it came to the offseason, but things have definitely changed with this news and could force the Pistons to make more moves than they had planned.
This is a disaster the Pistons weren’t expecting to deal with, and it’s a big one, as Beasley was a leader in the locker room and has connections in Detroit that will be tough to sever if the Pistons decide not to bring him back.