Malik Beasley, a guard with the Bucks, shot 41.3 percent and averaged an incredible 2.8 threes per game in 2023–24. He might be a highly sought-after free agency come the 2024 offseason. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, at least three teams have expressed preliminary interest in signing the shooting guard.
According to the article, Beasley is anticipated to get interest from a number of teams when the NBA’s free agency season begins on June 30. These teams include the Rockets, Magic, and Warriors.
On May 21, Iko reported, “League sources said that Houston has identified floor spacing and shooting as an area of need this offseason, both privately and publicly. They also have interest in veteran sharpshooter Malik Beasley.” “Beasley spent the previous season in Milwaukee, starting 77 games and shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range. He is also drawing early interest from Orlando and Golden State.”
Beasley only participated in five postseason games, but in the six games of the Pacers’ first-round series, he shot an amazing 44 percent from the field.
The Rockets and Magic, the other two teams connected to Beasley, might outbid the Warriors in a bidding war. Despite having little cap room, the Rockets can use their $4.7 million biannual exception and $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception (MLE) to fund free agency or add players through trades, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
For background, in the 2023 offseason, Beasley signed a one-year, $2.7 million veteran minimum contract with the Bucks. Therefore, an MLE or any deal for more than $10 million year would be seen as a substantial salary for the seasoned shooter.
Up to $35 million in cap space might be created by the Magic, the majority of which could be used to sign reputed targets like D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson. They could use the $8 million room midlevel exception, though, if they so want, for Beasley.
According to ESPN’s Marks, the Warriors’ predicament is more complicated and is dependent on the futures of Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney.
“Kevon Looney’s $8 million contract (of which $3 million is guaranteed) and the $30 million owed to Chris Paul have until June 24 and June 28 respectively, to be guaranteed by the Warriors. Golden State’s salary entering July will be $137 million, $34 million less than the luxury tax and $54 million less than the second apron if both players are waived. Which free agent exception is available will depend on the futures of Paul, Looney, and Thompson, Marks wrote following the Warriors’ elimination from the playoffs on April 16.
The Warriors’ top goal in the 2024 summer, according to owner Joe Lacob, is to move into the NBA’s second echelon and avoid paying the luxury tax.
According to Lacob, “Our Plan 1 or 1A is that we’d like to be out of the tax,” as reported by Bleacher Report on February 14. The fact is, in order to remove this repeater item from our records, we must be exempt from the tax for two of the next four years. That is the strategy, and we believe we can maintain our team cohesiveness if we endeavor to achieve it.
It is unlikely that the Warriors will make major roster additions before the 2024–25 season because of financial constraints. That is, until they take the bold decision to trade one of Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, or Stephen Curry. Andrew Wiggins is anticipated to be shopped by the front office headed by Mike Dunleavy Jr.
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