The Knicks have made a flurry of moves over the last 24 hours, bringing in a trio of veterans to compete for their final roster spot. Fans who have been holding their breath, hoping the Knicks also add Malik Beasley to the mix, should give up the pipe dream, though, as SNY's Ian Begley notes any deal would be unlikely considering he is still under investigation by the NBA for gambling.
Begley does note that things are "fluid". So while the dream may not be completely dead, it appears the final veteran spot will go to either Landry Shamet, Garrison Mathews, or Malcolm Brogdon.
Beasley is the crown jewel remaining on the open market. Earlier this summer, it was reported that the sharpshooter would be returning to the Detroit Pistons on a $42 million deal. Then, news broke of a federal investigation into allegations of gambling in late June, which halted Beasley's free agency.
Beasley is one of the best shooters on the planet
Almost every team in the league would be interested in adding Beasley for the right price. He has been one of the most accurate shooters in the league over the last two seasons with the Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. Over that span, he has taken the fourth-most three pointers of anyone in the league while shooting a blistering 41.6 percent from deep.
No player who has taken at least 1,000 threes over the last two seasons has been more accurate than Beasley, and he is one of only three players, along with Steph Curry and Donte DiVincenzo, to shoot 40 percent or better on that volume over that span.
The Knicks only ranked 27th in 3-point volumes last season, and have been missing a high-volume 3-point shooting wing since they traded Divincenzo as part of the package used to land Karl-Anthony Towns last summer.
Shooting help will have to come from elsewhere
While a Beasley signing seems unlikely for now, the Knicks have other options to get help from deep. They have signed both Shamet and Mathews to deals to compete for the remaining veteran spot, and Brogdon has been a marksman throughout his career as well.
Ultimately, who the Knicks give the remaining minimum spot to will come down to who performs best in camp. Brogdon has an advantage as a ball-handler, Shamet has existing relationships and is a great movement shooter, while Mathews is an elite catch-and-shoot threat.