With the shocking news coming down on Friday that Malik Beasley is no longer being investigated regarding sports gambling, he’s able to hit the free agency market late in the summer. However, due to the scandal, his market has mostly been nuked, and the financial opportunities he created by playing so well last season have all but vanished.
Breaking: Malik Beasley is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation conducted by the Eastern District of New York, his attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter told ESPN. This potentially reopens free agency for one of the NBA's top shooters. pic.twitter.com/elbC09hprW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 22, 2025
He could take a deal for $7.2 million a year to return to the Pistons, but that’s well below what his value would have been a couple of months ago. The only teams with cap space or an exception larger than Detroit’s $7.2 million offer aren’t contenders, and a match may not make sense for either side.
But the Nuggets could offer Beasley the best combination of role, money, and future opportunity. Beasley was drafted by the Nuggets and played into his fourth season with the club before being dealt to Minnesota. He bounced around the league a bit, but broke out last season in Detroit.
He averaged over 16 points a game and made 319 3-pointers, which was second in the NBA, while coming in second in Sixth Man of the Year. Beasley was a huge part of the Pistons’ run to the playoffs last season, but with his situation up in the air, Detroit went out and added Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, and Javonte Green.
They also have Jaden Ivey returning from injury, who figures to play a key role. The circumstances were unfortunate, but Beasley lost his role and his money while the investigation was ongoing.
Nuggets have put clear emphasis on wing shooting
All offseason, the Nuggets have been hyper-focused on adding 3&D wings and building out playable depth. They’ve added guys with size who can space the floor and hit threes. Ideally, those guys can add some level of defense. It started with swapping MPJ for Cam Johnson, and continued with the signings of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown.
They kept it going by using two-way spots on Tamar Bates and Curtis Jones, and even brought in Kessler Edwards on an Exhibit-10 deal. It’s crystal clear what the Nuggets are looking for, and Beasley fits that mold as well as anyone. They can’t pay him the most, but they can give him a deal close to what Detroit can offer, while allowing him to flourish in the Nuggets' offense.
He can play a big role on a contending team and prove his worth to the league while vying for a championship. That will allow Beasley to hit the open market next season when plenty of teams have cap space and recoup some of the money he lost due to this gambling scandal.
It’s a win/win for all parties, and one that makes too much sense not to happen. If the opportunity is on the table, the Nuggets should bring Malik Beasley back home.