Last Updated on July 21, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Malik Beasley has established himself as one of the NBA’s most dangerous perimeter shooters, using quick-trigger shooting, athleticism, and confident scoring instincts to impact games. His ability to stretch defenses, attack closeouts, and provide instant offensive firepower has made him a valuable backcourt and wing contributor throughout his career.

Here are the details about Malik Beasley:

  • Full Name: Malik JonMikal Beasley
  • Nickname: Beas
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: November 26, 1996
  • Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
  • Weight: 187 lbs (85 kg)
  • Wingspan: ~6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
  • Shoe Size: 15 (US)
  • Shoe Brand: Malik Beasley, Converse All Star BB Prototype CX, Nike LeBron 18, Nike LeBron 17, Nike LeBron 15, Nike Hyperdunk 2017
  • Jersey Number:
    • #5 — Florida State Seminoles
    • #25 — Denver Nuggets
    • #5 — Minnesota Timberwolves
    • #5 — Utah Jazz
    • #5 — Los Angeles Lakers
    • #5 — Milwaukee Bucks
  • Position: Shooting Guard
  • High School: Saint Francis School (Alpharetta, Georgia)
  • College: Florida State Seminoles
  • NBA Draft: 2016 — Round 1, Pick 19 — Denver Nuggets
  • Player Archetype: Movement Shooter / Floor-Spacer
  • Primary Offensive Role: Off-ball scoring guard; high-volume three-point shooting and transition finishing
  • Defensive Role: Perimeter defender; limited-impact team defender with streaky engagement
  • Play Style: Fast-paced, perimeter-oriented scorer who thrives on catch-and-shoot opportunities, relocation, and quick-trigger threes; capable of explosive scoring runs but not a primary creator
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right
  • Athletic Profile: Above-average straight-line speed, strong vertical pop, quick release mechanics; not elite laterally
  • Recruiting Status: 4-star recruit (2015 class)
  • Draft Status Detail: One-and-done prospect with clear NBA shooting translation; valued for spacing upside
  • Injury Status Category: Moderate Risk — has had minor injuries and availability interruptions but no consistent long-term absence pattern
  • Career Stage: Prime / Late Prime Contributor
  • Comparison Style: High-volume perimeter scorer reliant on shooting gravity
  • Comparable Players:
    • J.R. Smith — streaky scoring wing with microwave shooting
    • Tim Hardaway Jr. — movement shooter with scoring bursts
    • Gary Trent Jr. — catch-and-shoot guard with defensive limitations
    • Ben Gordon — instant-offense scorer off movement
  • Teams Played For:
    • Denver Nuggets (2016–2020)
    • Minnesota Timberwolves (2020–2022)
    • Utah Jazz (2022–2023)
    • Los Angeles Lakers (2023)
    • Milwaukee Bucks (2023–present)
  • Championship Rings: 0
  • Parents: Michael Beasley (father), Deena Beasley (mother)
  • Children: Yes (has one son)
  • Siblings: Not widely documented

Malik Beasley’s player archetype is that of a movement shooter, built around spacing the floor and generating offense without needing the ball in his hands for long stretches. Offensively, he operates as a high-volume perimeter scorer who thrives on catch-and-shoot threes, transition opportunities, and constant off-ball relocation, forcing defenses to track him closely around screens. Defensively, his role is more functional than impactful—he can handle perimeter assignments in spurts but lacks consistent discipline and lateral quickness to be a true stopper. Physically, Beasley combines solid size for a shooting guard with above-average speed and vertical athleticism, allowing him to finish in space and play at a high tempo. His overall play style leans heavily into rhythm scoring; when his shot is falling, he can swing games quickly, but his value is closely tied to shooting efficiency and consistency rather than all-around creation.

Scouting Report

The first thing you notice about Malik Beasley isn’t just how often he shoots—it’s how hard he works before the shot ever happens. He’s constantly changing sides of the floor, sprinting off pin-downs, flattening out along the baseline when a drive begins, then popping into vision the instant his defender loses contact. Those relocations are what make him dangerous because the release is so quick that even a half-step of separation is enough. To me, he’s far more effective as a moving target than a stationary one. He can attack an aggressive closeout with one or two dribbles and finish if the lane is clean, but the possession usually loses efficiency the longer the ball stays in his hands. That’s the trade-off. He’s capable of making the next pass when defenses overreact, yet he isn’t naturally manipulating help defenders or running pick-and-rolls possession after possession. Defensively, he competes best when his assignment is straightforward. He’ll chase shooters through multiple screens, stay attached around stagger actions and use active hands to bother catches, but stronger wings can dislodge him and offenses will occasionally exploit his tendency to lose focus when tracking cutters behind the play. Even so, his off-ball gravity has real value because defenders rarely feel comfortable helping too far from him, opening wider driving lanes for primary creators without him needing the ball himself. That’s why his ideal fit is beside a high-level playmaker who can consistently generate paint touches and reward movement rather than isolation-heavy offenses asking him to create late in the clock. There are similarities to Wayne Ellington in the relentless off-ball shooting and willingness to sprint through screening actions, while parts of his game also resemble Ben McLemore, particularly the combination of quick-trigger perimeter scoring, transition finishing and an offensive role built around spacing the floor instead of orchestrating it.

Profile Notes & Context

  • Malik Beasley’s height with shoes was 6 feet 4.25 inches in his rookie season and could be up to 6 feet 5.25 inches today.
  • Malik Beasley’s playing weight was 212 pounds as a rookie and 187 pounds during the 2023-24 season.
  • Stylistically, Malik Beasley aligns with Duncan Robinson, Buddy Hield, and Tim Hardaway Jr., each reflecting a perimeter-focused scoring profile built on shooting gravity and off-ball movement. Robinson stands as the closest stylistic parallel given his reliance on constant relocation and catch-and-shoot volume, while Hield offers more transition scoring punch and Hardaway Jr. leans further into on-ball creation within modern offensive systems.

Sources:
NBA — Malik Beasley Stats and Bio
Basketball Reference — Malik Beasley
ESPN — Malik Beasley Profile