Following the Detroit Pistons’ season-ending playoff defeat to the New York Knicks, veteran guard Malik Beasley took a moment to reflect on what he described as one of the most enjoyable years of his NBA career.
As part of a remarkable 28-win improvement for the franchise, Beasley emphasized how much the team’s culture and environment positively impacted him both personally and professionally.
“In my whole nine years in the NBA, I never had as much fun coming to the gym,” Beasley said. “I’ve been through a lot of stuff just this year alone. Every day coming in was probably the best thing that happened to me.”
Beasley specifically credited head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and front office executive Trajan Langdon for fostering a culture that made daily work genuinely enjoyable and fulfilling.
“Coach JB and Trajan did an amazing job of making sure when you come in here, it’s fun and it’s energetic, it’s a place you want to be. It’s a place you want to be,” Beasley repeated. “It’s definitely a place I want to be.”
Beasley, who signed a one-year, $6 million deal ahead of the 2024-25 season, will enter free agency as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
While the Pistons will only hold his non-Bird rights, limiting their ability to exceed the cap to retain him, they could create the necessary cap space or use the projected $14.1 million Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception to bring him back.
His strong endorsement of the team’s environment suggests mutual interest in a potential return.
Malik Beasley Wants To Stay With Pistons https://t.co/CYFktA5N9A
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 2, 2025
