{"id":156006,"date":"2025-08-22T23:54:55","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T03:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=156006"},"modified":"2025-08-22T23:55:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T03:55:47","slug":"malik-beasley-good-news-bad-russell-westbrook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/22\/malik-beasley-good-news-bad-russell-westbrook\/","title":{"rendered":"Malik Beasley&#8217;s Good News Is Bad For Russell Westbrook"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Now exonerated after being investigated as part of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/29\/malik-beasley-news-changes-outlook-for-key-pistons-free-agent-dennis-schroder\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">a federal gambling probe<\/a>, Detroit Pistons free agent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/beaslma01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malik Beasley<\/a> will be surging up teams\u2019 list of attractive free agent options.<\/p>\n<h2>Malik Beasley&#8217;s Good News Is Bad For Russell Westbrook<\/h2>\n<p>One such example is the New York Knicks, who have demonstrated interest in the 28-year-old throughout the offseason. The high-payroll Knicks are only able to offer him the veteran\u2019s minimum though. That\u2019s close to one-third of what he could earn from the Pistons next season ($7.2 million).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I would assume Beasley garners strong interest from teams with more to offer than a veteran\u2019s minimum. Salary cap guru <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KeithSmithNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@KeithSmithNBA<\/a> notes that DET can offer Beasley $7.2M. Some other teams still have some or all of the tax-payer MLE. Beasley had a 3-yr, $42M deal lined up with\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ian Begley (@IanBegley) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IanBegley\/status\/1958874439606489109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>To be clear, there\u2019s no indication that Detroit will prioritize bringing Beasley back after yanking their $42 million offer. However, Pistons president Trajan Langdon told reporters the team was &#8220;excited to get him back&#8221; (h\/t Detroit Free Press journalist Omari Sanfoka II). With that in mind, the possibility of Beasley\u2019s role being impacted by the return of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/i\/iveyja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaden Ivey<\/a> and addition of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/leverca01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Caris LeVert<\/a> if he returns isn\u2019t the problem.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the trust factor.<\/p>\n<h3>Circle Of Trust<\/h3>\n<p>Due to the questions about Beasley\u2019s integrity, the Pistons perception of him \u2014both from players and higher-ups \u2014may have been tainted. While he&#8217;s been cleared of wrongdoing, he faced the type of allegations that will have many people looking at his performances more closely. Did he leave a game early because he was actually injured? Did he play poorly on purpose? Is he trying to hit specific benchmarks in a game.<\/p>\n<p>That may not be the type of player a franchise wants, especially one that&#8217;s trying to boost their reputation and establish team culture.<\/p>\n<p>On the flip side, Detroit&#8217;s lack of faith in Beasley&#8217;s innocence was apparent. If they were confident that the situation was a misunderstanding, they wouldn&#8217;t have rescinded their offer. Thus, their actions suggest that they didn&#8217;t have the highest opinion of his character. Someone in Beasley&#8217;s shoes might take that as a slight. In fact, he made a post about having a chip on shoulder at the beginning of August.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Malik Beasley on Snapchat<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople were saying some crazy things in the media, people judging me. I\u2019ll tell you one thing I have a chip on my shoulder I\u2019m ready to destroy anyone in front of me, I\u2019m ready to prove again I belong in this league.\u201d <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qKBDFKKJW7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/qKBDFKKJW7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Pistons__Talk\/status\/1953125185667657913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Once the apple of his eye, the metro Atlanta native may have grown disillusioned with Detroit.<\/p>\n<h3>Malik Or Malik?<\/h3>\n<p>If Beasley does re-sign with the Pistons, the chain effect could be dramatic.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the Sacramento Kings are attempting to trade two-time Sixth Man of the Year candidate, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/monkma01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malik Monk<\/a>. Due to their agreement to sign Pistons free agent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/schrode01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dennis Schroder<\/a>, Detroit was suggested as a potential sign-and-trade destination. Since then, the Schroder deal <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/11\/3-burning-questions-kings-2025-26-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">has become official<\/a>, so folding it into a Monk sign-and-trade is no longer possible. However, Detroit could have still made a move for Monk.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_156014\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-156014\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-156014\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/08\/USATSI_25846821_168404789_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-156014\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apr 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) shoots during pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the surface, Beasley&#8217;s outside shooting makes him a no-brainer for the Pistons in an either-or scenario. Yet, his career playoff numbers pale in comparison to Monk&#8217;s. In 43 games, Beasley has averaged 7.8 points and 0.7 assists in 18.3 minutes per contest. For comparison, Monk has averaged 19.o points and 3.6 assists per game in the postseason, albeit on a much smaller sample size (seven games).<\/p>\n<p>As Detroit considers what they need to take the next step, there&#8217;s reason to believe they could see Monk as being more valuable than Beasley. At the same time, because Sacramento doesn&#8217;t quite have the high-end shooting one would expect of a star-laden team, they could prefer what Beasley provides over Monk. To that point, Beasley is a career 39.1 percent 3-point shooter, whereas Monk&#8217;s a career 35.0 percent 3-point shooter. Numbers aside, Beasley is more of a spot-up specialist, while the deceptively athletic Monk has a fondness for scoring off the bounce.<\/p>\n<h3>The Biggest Loser<\/h3>\n<p>Ultimately, whether Detroit re-signs Beasley or brings in Monk, unrestricted free agent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/westbru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russell Westbrook<\/a> loses in the end. Now that Beasley&#8217;s back on the market, that&#8217;s just one more player that teams are likely to see as the more effective option at this point of their career. As he&#8217;s going to be more affordable and accessible than Monk, teams looking for backcourt help will be less inclined to engage with Sacramento about a trade for the Kentucky product.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s terrible news for Westbrook, who currently <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/20\/russell-westbrook-remains-a-free-agent\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">only has one suitor<\/a> this offseason in the Kings.<\/p>\n<p>Just consider that his rickety jumper has never improved. His defensive impact has never measured up to his athletic ability. Last but not least, he&#8217;s a turnover machine. One day, Westbrook will be in the Basketball Hall of Fame. But right now, the 36-year-old is on the verge of being out of the league.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now exonerated after being investigated as part of a federal gambling probe, Detroit Pistons free agent Malik Beasley will be surging up teams\u2019 list of attractive free agent options. Malik Beasley&#8217;s Good News Is Bad For Russell Westbrook One such example is the New York Knicks, who have demonstrated interest in the 28-year-old throughout the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":156015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1608,62,29,4721],"tags":[252,293,700,297,4774,1382,53],"class_list":["post-156006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pistons","category-basketball","category-nba","category-kings","category-trade-rumors","tag-dennis-schroder","tag-malik-beasley","tag-malik-monk","tag-nba-free-agency","tag-rumors","tag-nba-trade","tag-russell-westbrook"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156006"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156018,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156006\/revisions\/156018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}