Malik Beasley asked Pistons not to trade him. He just proved his value by ripping 76ers

Posted by author February 8, 2025 NBA

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Malik Beasley approached Trajan Langdon a couple of weeks ago with a request:

“Don’t trade me.”

Beasley, a veteran shooter on an expiring deal, is the exact type of player that rebuilding teams like the Detroit Pistons typically look to flip at the NBA trade deadline, which passed at 3 p.m. Thursday.

But the Pistons aren’t a typical rebuilding team — they’re 26-26 after Friday’s 125-112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

And Beasley isn’t the typical veteran shooter — he’s one of the NBA’s best. And he’s exactly where he wants to be, in Detroit leading an upstart young team looking to snap a six-year playoff drought.

On Friday, he scored a career-high 36 points to lead the Pistons to a win with the game televised nationally on ESPN, while Cade Cunningham was in street clothes with a right ankle sprain. It was a performance that displayed why he’s so valuable to the Pistons, and why Langdon was happy to keep him through the deadline and honor his ask.

“He came to me a couple of weeks ago and said ‘Please don’t trade me, I want to be here,” Langdon told reporters after the team’s shootaround Friday morning. “Which means a lot. In the summer when we talked about players we were going after and players we wanted to roster, we wanted guys who want to be here. He’s a guy who has said from Day 1 he wants to be in Detroit and has continued to echo that, and with his actions and play has shown that.

“We’re excited that he’s here, we’re excited that he still wants to be here and he’s done a tremendous job when I talk about the positivity and being team first and competing between the lines, he’s done that so far this season. He’s set a great example for our young guys.”

Beasley has family ties in Detroit. His mom, Deena, was born and raised on the West Side of the city, off of 6 Mile and Evergreen, and he still has relatives here. Since he arrived last offseason, he has been transparent about his desire to leave a legacy here.

He entered Friday second in made 3-pointers among all NBA players this season, and knocked down nine of his 19 attempts as the Pistons defeated a Sixers team featuring a healthy Joel Embiid. Beasley made five 3-pointers in the first half as the Pistons built a 78-49 lead.

“To be able to talk to your GM is huge, to have that relationship,” Beasley said postgame. “I think he knew that I wanted to stay but he wasn’t sure, because a lot of players come in and still want to leave. But I told him from the jump I want to be here, I want to help build this organization up, I want to be a vet and do everything I can to score, and just get some wins. I’m happy to be here, I want to continue to stay here and let’s keep it going.”

Beasley entered Friday’s game as he has entered games throughout this season — on fire. On Monday against the Atlanta Hawks, he knocked down three of his initial four 3-point attempts in just seven minutes, before knocking down his fourth of the first half as time expired.

A night prior against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, he made two of four attempts in the first quarter en route to a 19-point performance in a win. He also knocked down three of his first four attempts early in last Friday’s home win over the Dallas Mavericks, keeping the margin close early before the Pistons pulled away in the final period.

“His energy is one of one,” big man Isaiah Stewart said after the win over the Sixers. “I never met someone with his energy and the way he just goes on about basketball and the way he views the game. He loves moments like this, when it’s time for him to step up and the spotlight is on him. We had a great feeling he was going to have a great game tonight and he knocked down a lot of big time shots tonight, and I’m happy and proud of him.”

Beasley was snubbed from the NBA All-Star 3-point contest, but Cade Cunningham got the nod. After participating in the event in 2024 with Milwaukee, Beasley has the inside track to success and plans to get in the gym with Cunningham on Saturday to help him prepare.

The veteran had his own personal 3-point contest Friday night to make up for it. Now, he’s all-in on helping his teammate win it.

“I’m happy for him,” Beasley said. “Obviously I wish we could both be in it. He told me if I was in it, he wouldn’t be in it, if I wasn’t in it he would be. Tomorrow if we have practice I’m going to go after practice and work with him, teach him everything I’ve learned last year. There’s some things that if you’ve been there, I wish I would’ve known when I was there.

“I’m gonna help him out tomorrow. If he wins, I’ll win. I’m happy for him and just keep it going.”

[ MUST WATCH: Reacting to Pistons trade deadline moves. Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify). ]

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.

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