Malik Beasley Deserves Another Shot with the Pistons

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Malik Beasley’s free agency market should be opening back up any day now.
The NBA free agent just spent the last couple of months as a target for a gambling-related investigation, stemming from his season before joining the Detroit Pistons.
After a successful run with the Pistons, Beasley was expected to garner over $40 million during the 2025 free agency period. Just days before free agency, it was revealed that Beasley would be investigated. In a panic, the Pistons turned their attention elsewhere.
Now, the Pistons signed two notable players in Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson. The same multi-year deal that would’ve been delivered to Beasley is no longer on the table.
via @KeithSmithNBA: The Detroit Pistons still hold Malik Beasley's Non-Bird rights as an unrestricted free agent. Detroit can offer Beasley a contract starting at $7.2 million. Detroit is just over $21M under the luxury tax with one open standard roster spot. As a UFA, Beasley is free to sign with any team.
The Detroit Pistons still hold Malik Beasley's Non-Bird rights as an unrestricted free agent. Detroit can offer Beasley a contract starting at $7.2 million. Detroit is just over $21M under the luxury tax with one open standard roster spot.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 22, 2025
As a UFA, Beasley is free to sign with…
A Pistons-Beasley reunion shouldn’t be ruled out. In fact, the Pistons should be doing what they can to retain the veteran sharpshooter.
While the Pistons attempted to replace Beasley’s production with Duncan Robinson, they have an open roster spot. There’s no question about whether Beasley can fit in on the court and within the locker room.
Last year, Beasley played all 82 games for the first time in his career. He came off the bench for all but 18 of those matchups, seeing the court for 28 minutes per game.
Beasley averaged 16 points per game, shooting 42 percent from three. Not only was he one of the best three-point scorers in the game, but Beasley was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. He was behind only the winner, Payton Pritchard, in the voting.
Is the Interest Still Mutual?

The fact that the Pistons were willing to pay up over $40 million for Beasley’s services tells you all you need to know about their interest in having him back for next season.
The good news is that Beasley doesn’t seem to feel slighted about the Pistons’ decision to change directions just days before the start of free agency.
Earlier this month, Beasley opened up about his thoughts of a potential return to the Pistons.
“To either come back to the Pistons, or like I said, there are some other teams interested as well,” Beasley told his Snapchat followers, regarding his plans for the upcoming season.
In addition to his direct quote, Beasley has also been wearing Pistons gear during select workouts. If hard feelings were in play, it would be unlikely that Beasley would be open to representing the Detroit-based franchise.
If the veteran guard is still open to re-joining the Pistons, Trajan Langdon and his front office should do the right thing and reward the sharpshooter.
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Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia
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