Grading Malik Beasley’s surprising deal with the Milwaukee Bucks
By Dalton Sell
After handling several of their internal players throughout the opening days of NBA Free Agency, the Milwaukee Bucks have started bringing in external pieces.
In addition to Robin Lopez, the Bucks have signed Malik Beasley to a one-year deal, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Beasley signs with the Bucks following a post trade deadline stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. Milwaukee fans have been praising the move, but let us take a closer look at why by breaking it down and handing it a grade.
The financial aspect of Malik Beasley’s deal with the Milwaukee Bucks
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Beasley’s contract with the Bucks will be a one-year deal worth $2.8 million. That’s nothing short of a steal for Milwaukee, given the caliber of player Beasley is and what he was initially set to make next season, which was a $16.5 million team option that the Lakers declined. For a team that only has veteran minimum deals to hand out, snatching Beasley off of the open market is a massive win for General Manager Jon Horst and the front office.
This is the definition of a low-risk, high-reward move for Milwaukee. If Beasley performs well, he’ll be among the biggest steals of free agency thus far. If the shooting guard struggles, he’s still on an expiring minimum deal, meaning the team is not committed to him long-term. Beasley likely took this deal to prove himself with a contender. After falling out of LA’s playoff rotation and getting his team option declined, Beasley was not going to get a huge deal, but he will now play out this year with hopes of getting a bigger deal next off-season.
Beasley undoubtedly has the potential to be among the most impactful players on a minimum deal league-wide next season.