The Knicks have room to sign one more veteran to their roster, and Malik Beasley, one of the game's premier shooting threats, just shockingly became available. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Beasley is no longer a target of a federal gambling investigation, which could lead to him signing with a team in free agency.
SNY's Ian Begley also reported that the Knicks were "among teams that had done background work" on the investigation, while trying to gauge how likely a potential suspension was.
Beasley had been under federal investigation since late June due to allegations of gambling. The investigation halted Beasley's free agency, where he had been in talks to sign a $42 million deal to return to the Detroit Pistons. However, those talks stalled after the investigation was announced.
Insider Jake Fischer also reported that the Knicks could target Beasley, reporting that New York has had their eyes on the sharpshooting wing since the Knicks played the Pistons in the playoffs back in May.
Beasley is one of the game's premier shooters
If the Knicks could land Beasley, they would get an incredible boost in firepower. Beasley is one of the best 3-point shooters on the planet and would greatly help the Knicks, who ranked 27th in 3-point volume last season.
Last year, Beasley's first with the Detroit Pistons, the flamethrower averaged 16.3 points, 1.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. He shot 41.6 percent on a whopping 9.3 3-point attempts per game, something that would intrigue any team.
There may be no better catch-and-shoot player than Beasley currently. Last season, he took 568 total threes off of the catch, by far the most in the league. Even more impressive, he knocked them down at an astonishing 43.1 percent clip, according to league tracking data. That 3-point percentage ranked fifth in the league, among players who attempted at least 300 total catch-and-shoot threes.
Knicks face an uphill battle to sign Beasley
Signing Beasley won't be easy for the Knicks, considering they can't offer him more than the veteran minimum. Beasley would likely have to desire playing in New York over securing a larger contract.
Several teams, including the Pistons, can still offer Beasley more than the minimum. Keith Smith of Spotrac also noted that eight other teams can offer Beasley more than the Pistons, with Brooklyn having the most to offer at $15 million.
Aside from the financial limitations, the Knicks already have a crowded guard rotation of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Deuce McBride, and Jordan Clarkson. Beasley likely would desire a larger role if he were to leave that much money on the table.