With a sore need for more outside shooting, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to snag Malik Beasley in the blockbuster deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz at last season’s trade deadline.
Beasley has always been a high-volume 3-point shooter on above-average percentages, so his inclusion in the trade was key to helping space the floor around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As is the case with most shooters, Beasley largely ran hot and cold from the field, though that didn’t stop Darvin Ham from letting him get his shots up during the regular season.
However, the sniper eventually found himself losing minutes as he fell into a shooting slump and was even excised from the rotation altogether in the playoffs. Beasley’s utility and value suffers greatly if he’s not hitting shots as he’s not a very good defender and doesn’t provide much in the way of playmaking.
Overall on the season with the Jazz and Lakers, Beasley played 81 games while averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists and shooting 35.7% from 3-point range on high volume at 8.1 attempts per game.
Heading into the offseason, it felt like a solid bet that the Lakers would look to keep Beasley in order to preserve the roster continuity and chemistry that the team managed to build in the second half of the year. However, Los Angeles has reportedly chosen not to pick up his team option for the 2023-24 season, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
The Lakers will waive Mo Bamba and not pick up the team option on Malik Beasley today, sources told ESPN. LAL plans to stay in contact with both players’ representatives throughout free agency and could find different deal structures for Bamba and/or Beasley’s return to LA
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 29, 2023
Beasley was due to make a little over $16.5 million during 2023-24, but with his option declined will now hit unrestricted free agency. It’s a mild surprise that the Lakers didn’t opt to keep him as his number was only maybe slightly above market, although the Lakers still have his bird rights if they want to renegotiate at a lower number.
With Beasley potentially gone though, the front office is going to need to look for a serviceable replacement either in free agency or in a trade. The Lakers could also be confident in Max Christie and rookies Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis filling the gaps, though they’d be best be served trying to get a proven commodity.
Lakers have ‘serious interest in Bruce Brown
One reason the Lakers may have declined Beasley’s team option is so they can have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of slight more than $12 million.
Using that would hard cap the Lakers, but it may be worth it if they can find someone they really like and reports indicate that person is Denver Nuggets wing Bruce Brown.
Brown would be a nice fit on the Lakers, although he should have plenty of suitors once free agency begins on Friday.
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