Shooting is necessary for the Los Angeles Lakers. Malik Beasley is available right now. Teams are now free to approach him once more, and the Lakers are the team most in need of his skill set.
Beasley has formally been exonerated in the federal gambling probe that halted his free agency, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The one cloud that has hung up contract negotiations throughout the league was lifted when his lawyers, Steve Haney and Mike Schafter, stated he is not a target and will not be charged.
Malik Beasley simply became the Lakers’ obvious choice.
Although it should be obvious that the Lakers would pursue him, there is a catch to arranging a reunion. The Lakers are currently unable to provide even a minimum deal because of cap restrictions. Unless they make room through a consolidation deal, it would remain the case until January 18.
If the math works, the fit is there given Beasley’s current market status (cooler after months of silence) and the Lakers’ need for floor spacers who can play off-ball.
The 28-year-old Beasley just finished one of his best seasons with the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 16.3 points per game while playing all 82 games and made 41.6 percent of his three-point attempts.
sufficient to place second in the voting for Sixth Man of the Year.
This is referred to as high-availability and high-efficiency production. That type of floor spacing is exactly what the Lakers, who finished in the middle of the pack in three-point shooting the previous season, are lacking.
Los Angeles hasn’t had many reliable perimeter threats outside from Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, and the occasional LeBron James good night.
Yes, Beasley’s final stint with the Lakers wasn’t particularly noteworthy; in 26 games, he only shot 35.3% from outside the arc, and his playoff effect was minimal. However, the Beasley we saw with Detroit this past season was far more disciplined and crisper.
The fabricated accusations caused his last contract with the Pistons, a rumored three-year, $42 million extension, to fall through. Since the market has dried up since he was cleared, those figures probably won’t come back, creating an opportunity for a contender to make a move.
Beasley is a shooter, and the Lakers ultimately need to improve their shooting. Timing and roster mechanics are now the only obstacles, but if they can be resolved, this could be one of the most cunning offseason moves.
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