Pistons ‘Widely Expected’ to Make Critical Move for Next Season

Are the Detroit Pistons still in on retaining Malik Beasley?

Mar 3, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In 2024-2025, the Detroit Pistons had a great thing going. As they worked on tripling their win total from the previous season, the Pistons’ roster built such a strong chemistry on and off the court, which makes it difficult for impending free agents to stomach leaving.

Malik Beasley’s final press conference of the 2025 NBA Playoffs made it clear that he would love to return to the Motor City for at least another run. However, signing a one-year deal once again likely doesn’t interest the veteran sharpshooter.

Since Beasley is one of the most efficient high-volume shooters from beyond the arc, he could land a handful of multi-year offers from competitive teams across the league. The Pistons were expected to do what they could to retain Beasley for the 2025-2026 season during the early stages of the offseason.

Apr 4, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) shoots the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

According to a report from Cleveland.com, the narrative hasn’t shifted in Detroit. The Pistons are “widely expected to prioritize” re-signing Beasley.

Really, the only thing that could keep Beasley away from the Pistons is an offer from another team that simply maxes Detroit out of its desired range. The Pistons clearly want to keep the Sixth Man of the Year in a position to keep coming off their bench as he offers quality minutes nightly, but the Pistons have to place a lot of focus on taking care of some of their homegrown players financially as well.

It’s time to start thinking about Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey, who both showed improvement in 2024-2025. But that doesn’t mean the Pistons won’t fight to keep Beasley in the building. In 82 games, Beasley averaged 16 points while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc on nine attempts per game.

Beasley brought a ton of value to Detroit’s second unit. With free agency around the corner, it seems the league still expects the Pistons to keep Beasley as a primary target to retain.