West Team Emerges as Threat to Sign Malik Beasley in Free Agency

The Milwaukee Bucks are, unfortunately, preparing for the offseason right now instead of a participating in a playoff series. However, with not much cap space available, Milwaukee could see key veterans walk if another team comes in with a more aggressive offer.

And it looks like one such squad is already eyeing forward Malik Beasley.

Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports the Houston Rockets are showing interest both "privately and publicly" in Beasley. Iko notes Houston is keen to sign a sharpshooter to space the floor, and Beasley obviously fits the bill.

Even worse for Milwaukee, Iko says both the Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors are also expected contenders in the Beasley sweepstakes.

The former No. 19 pick had a nice year for the Bucks in 2023-24, immediately joining the starting lineup while going on to average 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds across 29.6 minutes per game. Beasley's 3-point display is what's going to make him a hot commodity this summer after he recorded a career-high 41.3% from deep with the Bucks.

It's certainly not good news for Milwaukee that there's already a group of suitors lined up for Beasley; that doesn't even count any who have interest that hasn't been reported yet, either.

This development just adds to the belief Beasley's Bucks tenure will be short-lived. He only landed in Milwaukee because he took a bargain deal to prove his worth to the league, and now that he's done that, his market is much healthier than a year ago -- and the cost to retain his services has gone up significantly as a result.

Luckily, there's always underrated players like Beasley who are up for grabs in free agency and would love an opportunity to showcase their skills on a contender that gets plenty of national attention. Milwaukee will just have to find another low-cost success to replace the wing if he does depart.

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