A familiar face will be taking his talents even further than South Beach in the near future
Over the weekend, Bad Bunny made worldwide headlines as he performed at halftime of the Super Bowl in San Francisco, and the Grammy-winning artist made another big move in the sports world on Friday, though on the hardwood as opposed to the turf.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley, who has been out of the NBA while dealing with gambling investigations, has signed a contract with the Santurce Crabbers of the Balencesto Superior Nacional (BSN). And how does Bad Bunny fit into the equation?
Bad Bunny owns the Crabbers after purchasing the club in May 2021. At the time, the Crabbers were making their triumphant return to the BSN after a multi-year absence, and Bunny’s ownership group stepped in to help stabilize a once-proud sporting club on the island.
Now that the Crabbers have signed nine-year NBA vet Malik Beasley to a deal with their season set to begin in March, Pistons fans can finally transition away from the wishful thinking that the sharp-shooter would rejoin Detroit just in time for a playoff push. At the Trade Deadline, the Pistons picked up wing Kevin Huerter in theory to help increase the team’s three-point shooting presence since Beasley’s absence created a noticeable crater in terms of perimeter gravity in Motown.
Last year, Beasley averaged 16.3 points and finished second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting while shooting a laser-like 43% from downtown during the 2024-25 season, so Beasley quickly became a fan favorite in the Motor City. Beasley’s outside threat helped push the Pistons back to the postseason for the first time in five years, so the value that he could once again bring to Detroit has been palpable all along– it just was not possible according to Trajan Langdon.
Given Beasley’s gambling investigations, the Pistons pragmatically opted to distance themselves from the talented shooter until after his situation was resolved. Judging by today’s news, Beasley did not want to continue training on his own, so he’ll be headed down to Puerto Rico to help stay sharp until he can forge a return to the NBA.
The Crabbers should welcome Beasley as the latest in a line of former NBA players to suit up for the Puerto Rican outfit. In the past, the Crabbers have featured Robert Traylor, Michael Beasley and Emmanuel Mudiay, so star-power has not been a scarcity on the island over the years.
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