Malik Beasley

Malik JonMikal Beasley (born November 26, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Saint Francis School in Alpharetta, Georgia, where he was a four-star recruit. He played one season of college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles.

Beasley had a standout freshman season at Florida State, earning freshman-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors after averaging 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He led the team in scoring and helped lead the Seminoles to a 20-14 record and berth in the NIT Tournament. Beasley declared for the 2016 NBA draft following this freshman season.

He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 19th overall pick in the 2016 draft. Beasley saw limited minutes off the bench his first two seasons but took on a larger role in his third year, averaging over 11 points in 81 games played. After three and a half seasons with the Nuggets, Beasley was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in February 2020. He enjoyed the highest scoring output of his career in his first season and a half with the Timberwolves, averaging 19.9 points over 51 games.

In mid-2021, Beasley served 78 days of a 120-day sentence in jail related to a September 2020 firearm-brandishing incident. In July 2023, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. In July 2024, he signed with the Detroit Pistons.

High school career
Beasley attended Saint Francis School in Alpharetta, Georgia. As a senior, he averaged 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks, earning the Class 1A Player of the Year of the state of Georgia and an All-State Class A First Team. He attended high school with Kobi Simmons, Kaiser Gates, and Jacob Davis (Birmingham–Southern College football player).

Regarded as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, Beasley committed to Florida State over offers from UConn, UCLA, Wake Forest, Oregon, and others.

College career
As a freshman at Florida State in 2015–16, Beasley averaged 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 29.8 minutes per game over 34 games. He was subsequently named to the Atlantic Coast Conference's all-freshman team, and ranked eighth in the conference in free throw percentage (.813) and 10th in field-goal percentage (.471).

On March 21, 2016, Beasley declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

Denver Nuggets (2016–2020)
Following the conclusion of the 2015–16 season, Beasley had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right leg. Because of this, he did not participate in pre-draft workouts. Despite having medical concerns entering the 2016 NBA draft, Beasley was selected with the 19th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets. On August 9, 2016, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Nuggets. Beasley appeared in just two of the Nuggets' first seven games of the season, and managed under eight minutes of action and failed to score in those two games. He had a breakthrough game on November 10, 2016, scoring 12 points in 15 minutes off the bench in a 125–101 loss to the Golden State Warriors. During his rookie season, Beasley has had multiple assignments with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the flexible assignment rule.

On February 1, 2019, Beasley had a career-high 35 points in a win over the Houston Rockets.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2020–2022)
On February 5, 2020, Beasley was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a four-team, 12-player trade. After the trade to Minnesota, Beasley received the starting job and his scoring output drastically increased. In 14 games with the Timberwolves, he averaged 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while starting all 14 games.

On November 27, 2020, Beasley re-signed with the Timberwolves on a reported four-year, $60 million contract. On February 25, 2021, Beasley was suspended for 12 games as a result of a guilty plea in a criminal case. At the time of the suspension, he was averaging a career-high 20.5 points per game and shooting 40% from 3-point range. The Timberwolves were a league-worst 7–26.

On March 5, 2022, Beasley broke the Timberwolves franchise record for most three-pointers made in a single season, surpassing Kevin Love's 190. Four days later, he made a franchise record 11 three-pointers, along with 33 points, in a 132–102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On April 16, 2022, during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Beasley scored 23 points in a 130–117 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Utah Jazz (2022–2023)
On July 6, 2022, Beasley was traded, alongside Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to Walker Kessler, four future first round picks and a pick swap, to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Rudy Gobert. On October 19, Beasley made his Jazz debut, logging 15 points and five rebounds in a 123–102 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Los Angeles Lakers (2023)
On February 9, 2023, Beasley was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves. He made his Lakers debut two days later, recording four points and two rebounds in a 109–103 win over the Golden State Warriors.

On June 29, 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers declined Beasley’s team option, making him a free agent.

Milwaukee Bucks (2023–2024)
On July 6, 2023, Beasley signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. On November 16, Beasley scored a season-high 30 points during a 128-112 win over the Toronto Raptors. On February 17, 2024, Beasley participated in the Three-Point Contest during the NBA’s all-star weekend, ultimately losing to his Bucks teammate Damian Lillard.

Detroit Pistons (2024–present)
On July 11, 2024, Beasley signed with the Detroit Pistons.

Personal life
His grandfather was actor John Beasley, who played the role of Notre Dame football Coach Warren, welcoming new walk-on players to fall practice, in the film Rudy. On March 26, 2019, Malik and his wife Montana Yao had their first child. They welcomed a second child, a daughter, on November 11, 2022. Beasley had a brief relationship with TV personality Larsa Pippen from 2020 until 2021, after four months apart they shortly dated again in 2021.

Criminal case
On September 27, 2020, Beasley was arrested for marijuana possession, concealing stolen property, and for an incident in which he brandished a firearm. He was initially released from law enforcement custody but later faced charges in Hennepin County stemming from the incident. Beasley pled guilty to the felony charge of making a threat of violence in December 2020 and was sentenced to serve 120 days in jail, with confinement occurring after the conclusion of the 2020–21 NBA season. Beasley served 78 days of the 120-day sentence and was released in August 2021.