Malik Beasley Seeking Deal North of Veteran Minimum, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons Have Contacted Him

Malik Beasley is seeking a deal north of the veteran minimum, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons have contacted Beasley’s representation.

“League sources say that four primary teams have been in contact with the sharpshooter’s representation in hopes that he can eventually be signed. They are Cleveland, New York, Minnesota and the incumbent Pistons,” Fischer wrote. “Sources say Beasley will ultimately be seeking a deal north of the veteran minimum and would figure to command that — if the 28-year-old can indeed play on with no off-court obstacles — after he shot a robust 41.6% from deep last season on high volume.”

Beasley averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.1 blocks for the Pistons last season while shooting 43.0% from the field, 41.6% from 3 and 67.9% from the free-throw line. He appeared in all 82 games.

A Florida State product, Beasley has played for the Denver Nuggets, Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Pistons. He has career averages of 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks in the NBA.

Beasley could still be charged in a gambling probe, according to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports. The shooting guard is no longer a “target” of the federal gambling investigation conducted by the Eastern District of New York, but he’s still a “subject.”

“The Department of Justice defines a ‘target’ as ‘a person as to whom the prosecutor or the grand jury has substantial evidence linking him or her to the commission of a crime and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is a putative defendant.’ But Malik Beasley is still considered a ‘subject’ of the investigation, according to a source with knowledge of it,” Schiffer wrote.

“The Department of Justice defines a subject as ‘a person whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jury’s investigation,’ which means Beasley could still be charged with a crime, something his lawyers have acknowledged.”

Investigators are focusing on a handful of games during Beasley’s tenure with the Bucks during the 2023-24 NBA season because at least one prominent U.S. sportsbook detected unusually heavy betting interest in Beasley’s statistics.

Beasley entered the NBA in 2016 with the Nuggets.