Pistons guard's legal trouble is Caris LeVert's gain

According to HoopsHype, the Pistons were ready to offer Beasley a three-year contract worth $42M when free agency began. But after news broke Sunday that Beasley was being investigated as part of a federal probe into gambling and prop bets, the Pistons switched their focus to Caris LeVert.

LeVert got a shorter deal for a very similar annual value to Beasley — two years and $29M instead of three for $42M. Like Beasley, he's a scoring wing, but unlike Beasley, LeVert does his damage as a passer, driver and mid-range scorer, while Beasley took over 70 percent of his shots behind the three-point arc.

It's an interesting pivot because the two were consecutive selections in the 2016 NBA Draft. Beasley went to the Denver Nuggets at No. 19, then LeVert went to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 20. They've both bounced around the league — the Pistons are LeVert's fifth team, and were Beasley's sixth.

Beasley's troubles might inspire more unexpected moves from Detroit. It is said to be looking at the Miami Heat's Duncan Robinson to make up for Beasley's outside shooting. Detroit might also try to turn Dennis Schroder's departure to the Sacramento Kings into a sign-and-trade in order to get an asset out of the move.

None of this may have happened without Beasley's trouble. A deal was probably out there for LeVert from some team, but perhaps not for $29M, nor in Michigan, where LeVert played college ball. It could have happened, but two days ago, we wouldn't have bet on it.