Malik Beasley’s re-entry into the free-agency mix could end up being a big-time help for the New York Knicks. And it has almost nothing to do with being the team that signs him.
As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Beasley is no longer the subject of a gambling investigation. That has put him back on the radar of every team still in need of a lights-out shooter. This includes the Knicks, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
Landing Beasley would be something more than a coup. He is shooting over 39 percent from downtown over the past half-decade on nearly 1,150 total makes. Stephen Curry is the only other player to match that volume and efficiency during this span. You don’t get that kind of offensive production for a minimum contract.
We mean that literally. The Knicks will face an uphill battle in their quest to sign the 28-year-old. They can only dangle a veteran’s minimum contract. Plenty of other teams can offer more money. And they are going to offer more money.
On the bright side, New York can still benefit from this late-offseason twist.
The Knicks could face less competition for other free agents
Other remaining free agents could now fall by the wayside until Beasley figures out his next move. This is great news for the Knicks.
Anyone attempting to land Beasley will presumably also be in the hunt for other guards like Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Ben Simmons. We already know New York is monitoring or actively pursuing all of them. The front office is prioritizing the addition of a guard, and many have Shamet, specifically, already slated for a return to the Knicks.
There is even a chance the front office wants two of these three. It will require some maneuvering on the trade market, but the front office appears to be contemplating carving out the room necessary to land a pair of veteran free agents, rather than just one.
Pitching any one of these three, let alone two, on a minimum contract could be tough sledding. And even if they all wind up being minimum-contract signings, other suitors can promise more guaranteed playing time. The Knicks at this point are at both a financial and functional disadvantage in negotiations with quality players.
Beasley’s situation can help change that. At the very least, a prospective suitor for Brogdon, Shamet, or Simmons is about to come off the board by signing him.
At best, though, Beasley’s revamped availability could leave a handful of teams in limbo, paving the way for New York to swoop in and sign someone while so many others are lying in wait.