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Malik Beasley was arguably the best value signing of the 2024 offseason. The Detroit Pistons were able to land him on a deal worth only $6 million, and he played a huge role in turning the Pistons into a playoff team.
Just last year, the Pistons had the worst losing streak in NBA history and established themselves as one of the worst NBA teams in recent memory. They brought in a number of veterans to turn things around, and Beasley's excellent 3-point shooting was a big reason why they improved so much.
Beasley was so impressive that he finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Unfortunately for Detroit, the guard was only signed to a one-year deal. He will now hit the open market, and he will make a lot more in free agency this go-around. A return to the Pistons would make sense, but check out the gallery to see which destinations outside of Detroit are the best fits for Beasley.
1. Malik Beasley to the Bulls
The Pistons are projected to have the second most cap space for next season, so a return to Detroit is very likely for Beasley. However, this is a player who has played for six different NBA teams throughout his career, so it wouldn't be a surprise if his tendency to bounce around from team to team continued.
The Chicago Bulls will also have spending power this offseason. They have more than $14 million in projected practical cap space this offseason, which is the fourth most in the NBA.
The Bulls need Beasley even more desperately than the Pistons do, so they might be willing to overpay for the shooting guard. After all, Detroit has lots of depth and young talent.
The Pistons brought in other veterans last season, including Tobias Harris, Dennis Schröder, and Tim Hardaway Jr., although the latter two are also impending free agents. The team has tons of recent first-rounders on the roster, too, including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson.
The Bulls don't have that level of depth, and they could also use more shooting despite being one of the top teams from deep last year. Lonzo Ball is under contract for two more seasons, and Josh Giddey will likely be re-signed this offseason.
While both guards have improved their 3-point shots in recent years, neither would be considered a sniper like Beasley is. The team gets up a lot of long balls as a whole, though, so Beasley would fit right in.
2. Malik Beasley to the Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies took a step back this past season. Their struggles against playoff-caliber teams led to the Grizzlies firing head coach Taylor Jenkins near the end of the regular season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Grizzlies in the first round of the postseason. Now, they will lose their best 3-point specialist in free agency.
The team didn't sign Luke Kennard until late into the offseason last year, which means they might let him walk this go-around. If Kennard leaves, then the team will need a catch-and-shoot threat to replace him.
This role is so important in Memphis because the Grizzlies' best player, Ja Morant, is an elite athlete and slasher. Morant gets downhill with ease, and he needs shooters to kick the ball out to, especially because he is a suspect shooter in his own right.
Beasley would not only replace Kennard, but he would be an upgrade over him. Beasley averaged nearly double the points as Kennard last season as Kennard scored 8.9 points per game in comparison to Beasley's 16.3.
The Grizzlies are also a team expected to operate with cap space this offseason. In fact, the Brooklyn Nets and the Pistons are the only teams with more projected cap space. The Grizzlies were a top-two seed in the stacked Western Conference twice in recent years. They need to get back to that, and Beasley could help get them back over the hump.
3. Malik Beasley to the Hornets
Beasley thrived in Detroit playing alongside a jumbo facilitator like Cunningham. If he switched teams, it would make sense for him to go to a squad that has a similar archetype for whom he could share the backcourt with. LaMelo Ball is that player on the Charlotte Hornets roster.
Ball is arguably an even better playmaker than Cunningham, so Beasley would continue to get plenty of open looks from deep. The Hornets have won fewer than 40 games in eight of their last nine seasons. The rebuilding phase needs to end, and the team needs to bring in pieces who have winning experience.
Not only did Beasley help turn around the Pistons last year, but he has played for contending teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets before.
4. Malik Beasley to the Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have good depth and plenty of talent in the frontcourt. They could use more guard depth and additional shooting, though.
With a 34.2% rate from deep last season, Portland was one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league. Beasley would fix that problem as he has shot better than 40% from deep on extremely high volume in each of his last two seasons.
Deni Advija, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Jerami Grant can all get to the rim. They need someone who they can kick the ball out to. The Western Conference is getting deeper and deeper, so the Trail Blazers will need all of the help that they can get if they want to compete for the playoffs next season.
