Malik Beasley showing why Timberwolves were foolish to trade him

There is no question the Minnesota Timberwolves are an organization committed to winning. After putting together one of their best regular season campaigns in recent memory last season, they showed they were not content.

Instead of standing pat and running it back with the same group of guys again, they decided to do what any serious franchise would do: put themselves in position to be even better, even if it meant taking a sizeable risk.

And that is precisely what they did when they traded for Rudy Gobert. Landing one of the most talented big men and arguably the most lethal paint protector in the NBA, the Timberwolves went all in on being a championship contender in 2022-23.

However, when they made this move, there were a few side effects. One of which was losing several key role players that helped make last year’s squad so special. In particular, Minnesota gave up one of their best three-point threats to the Utah Jazz: Malik Beasley. Through the first month of the season, he has been showing why the Timberwolves may regret giving him up.

Malik Beasley is making Minnesota Timberwolves regret letting him go

One of the most underrated outside shooters in the NBA, Malik Beasley is looking like a star in his seventh year in the league. Having appeared in all 19 games for Utah this season, Beasley is putting up 13.6 points per game in 26 minutes of action per contest.

But the real department where he has dominated is in efficiency. Beasley is shooting a career-best 41.4% from three-point range this season, lighting up the nets for a Jazz team that has dazzled crowds and impressed everyone with their unexpected success.

Seeing him thrive in such a big way has to be disappointing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. While it was clear he had to be included to get the trade for Gobert done, it is certainly hard to watch this iteration of the Timberwolves and not wonder what Malik Beasley could be doing for them.

Malik Beasley has been on a tear offensively

It makes sense for Minnesota fans to feel this way when considering the Wolves’ struggles from beyond the arc this season. Ranking 25th in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage, the Timberwolves are shooting just 33.2% as a team from outside in 2022-23.

Meanwhile, Malik Beasley has been an offensive manifesto over the last several weeks. Though he is coming off a rough performance against the Clippers on Monday night, Beasley’s previous seven games saw him average 19.4 points per game, to go with 48% shooting from three-point range.

Over that stretch, Beasley knocked down 34-of-71 three-point attempts, making nearly five threes per game. He has been an absolute flamethrower for the Jazz as of late, and his offense has provided a major spark for a team that continues to take home wins.

Beasley’s impact is missed on this Timberwolves team, and fans are left wondering how different things might be if Beasley was still suiting up in the Twin Cities.