A major wrinkle got thrown into Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley's impending free agency on Sunday when it was reported that the sharpshooter is being investigated for gambling on NBA games. All of a sudden, one of the league's breakout players in 2024-25 and one of the best players on the market this offseason as in a world of trouble.
While the investigation is still ongoing and Beasley denied all of the allegations against him, he is still working in the gym. He proved a much with his first social media post since the investigation went public, where he is in the gym with a Pistons shirt on.
Beasley was likely going to return to the Pistons before this turn of events, but now teams will likely wait until the investigation concludes before making a move to bring him in.
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Beasley had the best season of his career in 2024-25 and emerged as one of the most lethal shooters in basketball. He played in all 82 games, starting 18 of them for the Pistons, and scored 16.3 points per game.
From start to finish last season, the Florida State product was one of the most high-volume snipers in basketball. For the season, he knocked down 41.6% of his 3-pointers while taking more than nine of them per game, so opposing defenses were forced to respect him every time he was on the court.
The presence of someone like Beasley certainly made things easier on the young players in Detroit last season, Specifically Cade Cunningham. Cunningham had the best season of his young career, and there's no question that part of that stems from the extra space that Beasley provides on the court.
It seemed as if Beasley found a home in Detroit after bouncing around the NBA for much of his career, but this investigation throws a wrench into things. However, if his latest post is any indication, he is still committed to the Pistons even as a free agent.