Malik Beasley’s Name Cleared, His Bag Should Be Next

Let me tell you something right now: this whole Malik Beasley fiasco is one of the most frustrating examples of how perception can wreck a man’s bag before the truth even gets a chance to breathe.

Here’s the reality: Malik Beasley is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation.

His lawyers, Jason Haney and Steve Schachter, confirmed it after months of meetings with the Eastern District of New York.

No charges. No indictment. No case.

And yet, this man had his entire free agency turned upside down because of whispers and headlines.

Let’s keep it a buck — the Pistons were ready to lock Beasley in on a three-year, $42 million deal.

That’s not just money, that’s generational security.

But the second ESPN reported in June that he was under investigation?

Poof. The deal vanished. Teams froze. Free agency offers disappeared like the Lions’ playoff hopes in the early 2000s.

Now, thank God, the facts are out. Beasley is in the clear.

But the damage? The damage is already done.

Haney said it best: “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik.

This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”

Facts.

And you know what makes this even crazier? The bets in question didn’t even hit!

One sportsbook flagged unusual action on Beasley’s rebound line in a Bucks-Blazers game.

Folks hammered the under at 2.5 boards. Beasley went out there and grabbed six.

So not only was he not throwing games, the people betting against him lost.

So tell me again — what exactly are we talking about here?

Look, Malik Beasley is no saint. He’s had past legal issues. He’s made mistakes. Nobody is denying that.

But the man just came off a season where he played all 82 games, averaged 16.3 points, drilled 319 threes — the most in Pistons history, second-most in the league behind Anthony Edwards — and finished runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year.

That’s production. That’s reliability. That’s a weapon every team in the NBA could use.

And Detroit?

Oh, Detroit needs him bad. You don’t come off a 44-win season and just casually wave goodbye to one of your best shooters because of an investigation that didn’t stick.

Especially when Beasley had the Pistons looking like an actual NBA offense for once.

Here’s the problem: because Detroit already spent their mid-level exception on Caris LeVert, the most they can now offer Beasley is $7.2 million. And I’ll be real with you — that’s an insult.

The man earned his bag.

Chicago, Indiana, New Orleans, Sacramento, Washington — somebody with the cap flexibility needs to step up and do right by this brother.

Because at the end of the day, Malik Beasley is guilty of only one thing: being a damn good shooter. And in today’s NBA, shooters get paid.

Period.

So here’s my message to the league: stop dragging your feet. Sign this man. Restore his bag.

Because the way Malik Beasley’s name got dragged through the mud?

That should never happen again.