The Chicago Bulls should take a gamble on free agent guard Malik Beasley.
A shooter of Beasley's caliber would have been snatched off the market early in July had he not been part of a federal gambling investigation. He is no longer a target of said investigation, however, thus re-opening his availability to NBA teams.
The 28-year-old now sits atop the list of unrestricted free agents.
Any team in the league could use the skill set Beasley brings. He has proven to be one of the most accurate 3-point shooters in the NBA over the last few seasons and was an indispensable part of the Detroit Pistons' bench in 2024-25, helping the franchise return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and secure its first playoff win since 2009.
Given the Bulls' scheme, Beasley would be a valuable -- if controversial -- addition.
Chicago Bulls should kick the tires on free agent Malik Beasley
Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news on Aug. 22 that the journeyman guard was "no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation conducted by the Eastern District of New York." Charania's tweet brought with it a number of opinions on Beasley's next step, but there's no denying his impact on the court.
The Florida State alum shot 41.6 percent from three last year and made the second-most triples of anyone in the league. He played in all 82 games for Detroit and averaged 16.3 points, ultimately finishing second in the race for Sixth Man of the Year behind Payton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics.
Beasley knocked down 43.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes last season. That level of accuracy on those opportunities would be ideal for the Bulls, who (likely) feature a creator like Josh Giddey at the point guard position.
Chicago hoisted the third-most 3-point attempts of any team a year ago, connecting on a respectable 36.7 percent. As solid as that number is, however, it made the Bulls just the 13th-most accurate squad in the league.
Head coach Billy Donovan's team also played at the second-fastest pace and was sixth in points per game (117.8). Adding a shooter like Beasley to a team that chucks early and often from downtown and scores well enough on a nightly basis already would make Chicago an even more dangerous threat to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Next to Giddey, the Bulls already have dead-eye snipers in Coby White and Kevin Huerter. The often- and much-maligned Nikola Vucevic shot a career-high 40.2 percent from deep last season. Giddey himself drained 37.8 percent of his 4.0 threes per game, blowing by his previous career best of 33.7 percent.
Chicago is one of five teams that can sign Beasley to a deal worth more than $7.2 million this year. That's an affordable sum for the Bulls.
Freeing up a roster spot and taking a one-year flier on a player who fits ideally into what Donovan wants to do would be a low-risk, high-reward move that could help Chicago move past its play-in tournament woes.