Malik Beasley was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2020 to 2022. He averaged 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with 41.9/38.9/82.1 shooting splits during this tenure. After this stretch with the Timberwolves, Beasley spent time with four teams over three years. It looked like he finally found a permanent home with the Detroit Pistons last season. He finished as the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year and averaged 16.3 points.
However, a gambling investigation derailed his chances of earning a new contract with the Pistons. Before this, Beasley was reportedly set to earn a three-year deal with the Pistons. Despite being cleared of these charges in August, this scandal proved to be too risky for NBA teams, as Beasley has remained unsigned. Over the summer, Minnesota was linked to Beasley in a reunion scenario.
Now, it's been reported by Dusan Markovic of Nova.rs that Beasley is in "advanced talks" on a rest-of-season contract with Partizan Belgrade, a Serbian basketball club. The team also features former NBA players Shake Milton and Jabari Parker. Given that he remained unsigned for so long, it's not exactly a shocker that Beasley is headed overseas. Still, it's a bit of a surprise to see that last year's Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is headed out of the NBA.
It's also worth noting that, per Markovic, Beasley's overseas contract would not contain an opt-out clause. As a result, if this holds true, it's safe to assume that Beasley won't be back in the NBA anytime soon.
Beasley is starting a new chapter of his career in Serbia
As mentioned earlier, the Wolves had displayed interest in Beasley. Despite this interest, I never thought a reunion made sense. Yes, the Timberwolves needed bench scoring and guard depth. However, as elite movement shooters without much on-ball abilities, Beasley and Donte DiVincenzo are too similar.
Ultimately, the Wolves rounded out their roster with Bones Hyland. While Hyland doesn't play, the Wolves needed a pure depth piece with the development of their young talent in mind.
The Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers are two other teams that had interest in Beasley. With an Eastern Conference-best 19-5 record, the Pistons don't need Beasley at this point. It's interesting to me that the Cavs opted not to sign him amid a shaky 14-11 start. There could very well be something more to the story, and Beasley's rumored debt is certainly a concern beyond his investigation.
Nevertheless, Beasley appears to be starting a new journey overseas, while potentially seeking a new NBA deal next season.