Malik Beasley is one of the underrated players who simply come out to play each night. The 6-foot-4 guard is undoubtedly a silent but effective operator and the Minnesota Timberwolves would be foolish to overlook his efforts. Most believe he will get his due, a well-deserved contract once the offseason starts.
Beasley was part of that four-team 12 player trade that revolved around Robert Covington. He was hardly given attention since most of it was on the acquisition of D'Angelo Russell from the Golden State Warriors. In exchange, the T-Wolves sent Andrew Wiggins to Dub City, NBA.com reported.
As most know, Minnesota is unlikely to make the NBA playoffs in the event the league does resume play. Karl-Anthony Towns remains out and most have been monitoring what Russell could do in the absence of the All-Star center. The All-Star guard is trying his best but it remains that he has had his share of erratic nights. In fact, in some games, it is Beasley stepping up even if they are losing most of their matches.
The point here is that Beasley is one of the reliable players who simply buckle down to work. This season, the 23-year-old guard has played in 55 games, averaging 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Of those games, his performance for the T-Wolves has picked up.
Since donning the T-Wolves jersey, the 19th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft has been averaging 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in the 14 games he has played. Some may debate that the reason for this is because coach Ryan Saunders is left with limited personnel. But for someone who just joined the organization, those are eye-catching numbers.
Looking ahead, it appears Beasley is due for a big pay raise. Originally estimated to be worth around $12 million by The Athletic, his performance with the T-Wolves is expected to go up. The actual numbers are unknown but he is unlikely to get anything lower than the forecasted $12 million a year salary.
If he and Russell can blend in, the Timberwolves have a young and promising backcourt duo. Add to the mix Towns and the T-Wolves could finally have something going moving forward. But it remains that they need more reliable frontlines who can score and do role-playing duties. Those are two positions Saunders is likely to address in the offseason - getting players who don't necessarily need to be extremely talented and expensive to hook up.
