The Los Angeles Lakers got a brief glimpse of the Malik Beasley experience in the 2022-23 season. The result were disappointing.
Beasley joined the Lakers as a part of the three-team deal that freed Los Angeles from the failed Russell Westbrook experience. The sharpshooter certainly got his opportunities to shine.
In 26 regular-season appearances for the Lakers during the 2022-23 campaign, Beasley started 14 contests and averaged 11.1 points per game. That sounds pretty good until factoring in the splits of 39-35-62, which resulting in a true shooting percentage of 52.1 percent.
Beasley's role was minimized for the postseason. The sharpshooting wing put himself on trial for losing that label. Beasley averaged 3.0 points per game, while connecting on 29.4 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The ups and downs of employing the former first-round pick are certainly evident. However, after a career resurgence with the Detroit Pistons, the gamble could prove worthwhile for the Lakers.
One game-changing factor makes Beasley highly desirable
After signing a one-year, $6 million contract with the Pistons last offseason, Beasley showed off and had one of his best years as an NBA pro. Coming off the bench in Detroit was a role in which the sharpshooter thrived.
Beasley played all 82 games this season, averaging 16.3 points per game and shooting a career high 41.6 percent from 3-point land. Not only was his percentage from distance high, but the Pistons wing also totaled 319 3-point makes. That was second in the league, only trailing Anthony Edwards (320).
In a smaller six-game sample size, Beasley's shooting fell off a touch in the postseason, similar to his experience with the Lakers. The Pistons shooting guard still posted 14.0 points per game, but it was on 37.3 percent from the field while shooting 33.9 percent on his triples.
With Beasley set to hit unrestricted free agency again, the veteran shooter will be available to the highest bidder. If his market does not develop and the Pistons do not find a price point they are comfortable with, the Lakers entering the sweepstakes would be an obvious move.
There are several reasons to be turned off by Beasley's game. The shot selection can be questionable at times and the defensive side of the basketball is still something the nine-year veteran does not excel at.
However, with a glaring need for spacing and depth, the Lakers are not in a position to ignore the value that can be found with signing the 3-point marksman. There is one crucial aspect that makes the union particularly attractive too.
Beasley is coming off his best season shooting the triple and providing a spacing-starved Pistons team with the necessary threat from range. Imagine the type of damage that can be done by the well-traveled wing in an offense beside Luka Doncic.
The Lakers superstar is one of the best players in the league at collapsing defenses and creating some of the easiest 3-point looks that his teammates will ever see. Banking on pairing one of the best shooters of the 2024-25 season with a consistently relaxing day at the office is a worthwhile gamble.
There will be an understandable caution with the idea of bringing back someone who only lasted half a season with the Lakers. That being said, who does not love a good redemption arc?