Malik

Beasley

Just before the start of free agency, it was reported that the US District Attorney’s Office was investigating Beasley due to gambling allegations. While ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last month that the free agent guard was no longer the “target” of the investigation, that does not mean he has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the government. Now, Beasley also has to deal with an NBA investigation of the allegations, with attorney Steve Haney telling ESPN that his client is “fully cooperating” with the league. While multiple teams have reportedly expressed interest in signing Beasley, a move is unlikely to get done before this situation is resolved. He was on track to sign a four-year, $42 million deal to remain in Detroit, but the offer was pulled once the allegations came to light.

It’s important to note that Beasley has not been charged with a crime. However, this is a serious development for a player who will be one of the top available free agents on the market when free agency begins on Monday. Appearing in all 82 games, Beasley averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 3.9 three-pointers for the Pistons. According to Charania, Beasley and the Pistons discussed a three-year, $42 million deal before the investigation came to light. Those talks have been paused. This situation also impacts starter Tim Hardaway Jr., who will be an unrestricted free agent.

Beasley provided a spark in the first half as he came off the bench and made six threes. Five of his threes came in the second quarter, which the Pistons won by 16. Beasley’s biggest shot was a buzzer-beater before the end of the first half, which gave the Pistons as two-point lead. With the Pistons down three at the end of the fourth quarter, Beasley couldn’t corral a pass from Cade Cunningham, resulting in a turnover and sealing the win for the Knicks. The 28-year-old shooting guard is set to hit free agency this offseason, but Beasley has expressed interest in staying with the Pistons and an agreement on a contract that makes sense for both sides wouldn’t be surprising.

As was the case for most of the regular season, Beasley provided solid production off the bench in Game 1. And after shooting 14-of-25 from three in two games against the Bucks to end the regular season, he carried that form over into Saturday’s matchup. Beasley shot 6-of-12 from three in Game 1 while also providing solid value in rebounds, steals and blocks. In four regular-season meetings with the Knicks, he shot 55.6 percent from three with an average of 3.8 makes and 15.8 points. Based on those numbers and his showing on Saturday, Beasley will have value in this series. Game 2 is on Monday night.

It doesn’t take much for Beasley to get rolling, and his hot shooting during the second and third quarters dragged the Pistons back into a game that was on its way to being a laugher. He shot 7-of-9 from three in those periods, appearing in fine form ahead of the Pistons’ first playoff appearance since 2019. Beasley’s name won’t be on the marquee for the first-round series against the Knicks, but he’s capable of being a factor. New York ranks 25th in the NBA in three-point percentage defense, which may be an area that Detroit can exploit.

No surprise here as Cunningham was listed as probable with a knee injury. The 23-year-old will start the second game of a back-to-back for the Pistons, which is a good sign for his health heading into the playoffs. Beasley popped up on the injury report as questionable with an illness, but is active and will likely play a significant role off the bench against his former team.

Beasley is a late addition to the Pistons’ injury report, which is concerning for fantasy managers in active leagues who rely on his three-point production. If he’s unable to play, Simone Fontecchio may log more than the six minutes he played in Thursday’s win over the Knicks. Fontecchio would not be worth streaming in active leagues, especially with all 30 teams on the slate.

Harris will miss a third-straight game with a heel injury. Dennis Schroder received the starting nod for Saturday’s loss to the Grizzlies and should remain in that role. Harris’s absence also increases Malik Beasley’s value, despite Beasley coming off the bench.

Cunningham returned to the Pistons’ lineup on Saturday after missing six games with a calf injury. While the shot was a bit off, he finished one steal shy of a complete stat line. Interestingly, Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff kept Dennis Schroder in the starting lineup, moving Malik Beasley to the bench instead. Schroder (10/2/4 with two three-pointers) was able to preserve some of his fantasy value, and there wasn’t much change for Beasley (11 points, three rebounds, one steal and three three-pointers), either. How long Schroder remains in the starting lineup depends on Tobias Harris, who did not play on Saturday due to a heel injury.

Harris has been downgraded from questionable to out, which means Dennis Schroder will remain in the starting lineup. Schroder is worth streaming in some standard leagues, even with Cade Cunningham on track to return from a left calf contusion. Also worth rostering is Malik Beasley, who will have a key role off the bench.