Beasley’s return to Bucks is ‘very unlikely’

BY GERY WOELFEL,

The Milwaukee Bucks will be in the market for a shooting guard this offseason.

The Bucks appear on the brink of losing Malik Beasley in free agency.

Daniel Hazan, the agent for the veteran shooting guard, told me Friday that Beasley will likely sign with another team during the free agency period, beginning in July.

“It’s very unlikely he’ll be coming back there (to Milwaukee),’’ Hazan said in a phone interview Friday. “They (the Bucks) like him; they want to keep him.

“But they can’t because of the money.’’

The Bucks have precious little money available because of severe salary-cap issues. Their 2023-2024 team salary was $187.3M and will have to pay a luxury tax of $53M.

Beasley, an unrestricted free agent, was paid $2.7M last season and is certain to receive a significant pay increase after turning in a strong performance for the Bucks.

Beasley, 27, started 77 regular-season games, a total surpassed only by Brook Lopez’s 79 starts, while averaging 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Beasley also shot a team-best 41.3 percent from 3-point range. That was the third-highest percentage in the NBA for players who attempted at least six 3-pointers a game.

With Beasley moving on, the Bucks’ shooting guard position becomes a serious concern for the team.  Journeyman Patrick Beverley is also an unrestricted free agent but figures to draw minimal interest in free agency and could possibly return to Milwaukee. Also, AJ Green will return after playing 56 games last season.

Neither Beverley nor Green are regarded as full-time starters on a legitimate NBA title-contending team.

Hazan said Beasley won’t have a shortage of suitors during free agency.

Said Hazan: “Everybody is looking for shooters.’’