The 2025-26 NBA regular season is almost here as the latest offseason continues to fly by. Things are quieter for the Houston Rockets now compared to the beginning of the summer, which saw general manager Rafael Stone bolster the roster with the likes of Kevin Durant, Steven Adams, Clint Capela, and other eager contributors.
Spotrac lists the Rockets as having 15 one-way contracts, meaning head coach Ime Udoka's 2025-26 lineup is seemingly set. Having said that, Houston could always kick one of its lower-tier players to the curb to open a roster spot for a veteran free agent who was just cleared to play next season.
Breaking: Malik Beasley is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation conducted by the Eastern District of New York, his attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter told ESPN. This potentially reopens free agency for one of the NBA's top shooters. pic.twitter.com/elbC09hprW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 22, 2025
On Thursday morning, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that veteran guard Malik Beasley "is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation" that's been going on for the last several weeks. Beasley's lawyers notified ESPN of their client's clearance, opening the door for him to join a new team ahead of the upcoming campaign.
On June 29, the United States Attorney revealed that it was looking into Beasley regarding prop bets made on NBA games. Now that he's been clearer, the Rockets should give his agents a call.
Rockets Must Target Malik Beasley After Being Cleared from Investigation
Even though he's been cleared, Beasley will still have to prove to the league that he can stay out of any potential trouble. That makes him more likely to be playing on a cheap veteran contract next season, which makes him a low-risk, high-reward player for a team looking to take the next step, like the Rockets.
Drafted 19th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2016, Beasley has enjoyed an NBA career that has spanned 578 regular-season and 43 playoff games with six franchises across nine seasons. He's been an offensive sparkplug everywhere he's gone, which includes a strong backup performance with the Detroit Pistons last season.
In 82 outings (18 starts) with the Pistons, Beasley put up 16.3 points on .430/.416/.679 splits while playing nearly 28 minutes per night. He only put up 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game as well; however, that didn't matter much when he was playing like one of the NBA's best contributors, eventually finishing as the runner-up to Payton Pritchard in the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year race.
Although he didn't win in the end, Beasley's 13 first-place votes show how well-respected he is around the Association.
As talented as the Rockets are, Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday, and Josh Okogie aren't exactly the most offensively intimidating guards to come off the bench. Signing Beasley would give Houston a backcourt threat boasting a bigger offensive upside, who's ready to help the team challenge for the Larry O'Brien Trophy next season.