The Detroit Pistons got hit with some very bad news on Sunday, as news broke that guard Malik Beasley is under a federal investigation. Beasley is being investigated in a gambling probe, over alleged prop bets and NBA games. As a result, the Pistons are looking at the trade market for a player who might be able to come in and help them.
The club is gauging the trade market on Pistons player Simone Fontecchio, per Hoops Hype. The Pistons are reportedly looking to free up some cap space that would allow them to chase some other players, including Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Fontecchio is someone that the Pistons would reportedly not mind losing.
Detroit was in talks with Beasley about signing a contract extension, but those talks stalled in light of the U.S. District Attorney's investigation. That investigation is ongoing. No other Pistons players have been mentioned as possible targets in the probe.
“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”
Beasley is set to become a free agent. If the Pistons do lose Beasley, they will have to replace one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. Beasley made more than 41 percent of his three-point attempts last year.
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Pistons are trying to move forward following this gambling probe
Detroit was in discussions with Beasley on a possible three-year contract extension, that would have paid him more than $40 million. Now, the team has to completely shift gears.
Fontecchio averaged about six points and three rebounds for the Pistons this past season. He appeared in 75 regular season games. The Italian forward came to Detroit during the 2023-24 campaign.
The Pistons are coming off a solid year. Detroit made the NBA Playoffs, but lost in their first series to the New York Knicks. That was a vast improvement on the year before, when Detroit had one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
This past season was the first time since 2019 that the Pistons made the playoffs.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Benjamin Adducchio is a sports journalist with over a decade of experience covering news. He is an expert writer on the NFL, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, and New York Yankees for ClutchPoints. The New York City resident previously worked in broadcasting and radio.