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On Friday, it was revealed that former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation. The allegations were initially (and understandably) quite harmful to Beasley's NBA career, as, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Pistons pulled a three-year, $42 million contract for the 3-point sharpshooter when this gambling discussion surfaced earlier this year.
A couple of days later, with Beasley seemingly in the clear, he might have two of the best possible free agent landing pads on deck. That they come after his career was almost derailed entirely should feel like a godsend.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks have both already checked in on Beasley's current status. That, to put it lightly, could put Beasley in a fantastic position to take his elite shooting to a team with genuine NBA Finals aspirations, as the Cavaliers and Knicks both figure to lead a top-heavy Eastern Conference next season.
Now, of course, as Beasley figures out his next NBA move, it'll be about his personal preference, which can be complicated to parse through. But, if he gets the opportunity, I think Beasley's potential decision is pretty simple.
He should join the Knicks to provide them with more depth. There, I said it. Yes, the Cavaliers figure to run it back with a squad that won 64 regular-season games last year before flaming out in the playoffs because of injuries. Yes, Beasley might theoretically be happier in a smaller role on a deeper Cleveland team. For someone who was third in the NBA in 3-pointers made on 41.6 percent shooting from deep last season, Beasley probably has a better chance of a Finals run if he heads to Ohio.
However, it's hard to beat the allure of being in New York on a good Knicks team in a city that thinks of itself as a basketball town. And the Knicks can more readily give Beasley top-eight rotation minutes (which also means more shots) to complement Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. I happen to like Beasley's shooting and spacing fit a lot more around that dynamic New York offensive duo rather than what I would presume to be a somewhat awkward three-headed guard lineup around Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
Rotation minutes aside, Beasley's skill set fits more seamlessly with the Knicks.
In all actuality, Beasley can't really go wrong here. If his options end up boiling down to New York or Cleveland, he will likely be playing high-level, meaningful basketball next season regardless. But of the two, the Knicks will still, in my estimation, make him happier.
Could the Pistons possibly re-sign Malik Beasley?
Unfortunately for Detroit, a Beasley reunion doesn't seem all that likely.
Even if both sides were interested in coming back together, the Pistons already pivoted from Beasley when they signed Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert. Given that Robinson and LeVert may effectively play similar offensive roles compared to someone like Beasley, it's hard to see Detroit walking back these decisions at this stage of the offseason. And at this point, if teams like the Cavaliers and Knicks are chasing Beasley, who can only offer minimum-type deals, then that might mean the Pistons aren't all that interested anyway.
Ah, well, at least Detroit had a backup plan. Now, Beasley might get to use his.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Which of 2 possible Malik Beasley destinations makes more sense?
Reporting by Robert Zeglinski, For The Win / For The Win
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