Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley pleads guilty to threats of violence
Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley spoke Wednesday for the first time since being arrested in September for an incident outside his Plymouth home.
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley has pleaded guilty to threats of violence in connection with a September incident outside his Plymouth home, according to his lawyers Steven Haney and Ryan Pacyga.
Beasley had been accused of pointing a firearm at a family who was reportedly on a Parade of Homes tour near his residence, and drug possession. In exchange for the guilty plea, Beasley had felony drug charges dropped. At the time of the incident, the Wolves were holding their In-Market offseason program, which Beasley was not participating.
Beasley spoke publicly for the first time since the incident earlier this month, as the Wolves were getting ready to start training camp. He didn’t address his legal situation specifically.
"Control what I can control. I can control being able to learn from my mistakes, learn from the things that I’ve got to grow upon. Other than that, I’m just ready to get on the court and get the season going," Beasley said.
Not long after his arrest and being charged in the incident, Wolves front office head Gersson Rosas signed Beasley agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract. Rosas has stressed since his arrival in Minnesota nearly two years ago that the Wolves will be a family, through good times and bad.
"There’s things that happen that a lot of us don’t want to happen, a lot of it is how do we respond to that? Both as an organization and for Malik in particular. We’ve gone above and beyond to make sure that this is a situation that we address in the best way possible, supporting Malik and also creating an environment and a structure where we can grow, mature and develop," Rosas said earlier this month.
Beasley was one of several players brought to the Timberwolves in a roster overhaul before the NBA trade deadline in March.
In 55 games last season, Beasley averaged 11.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field, including 38.8 percent from the perimeter. But in 14 games as a starter with the Wolves, he averaged 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 42.6 percent from three-point range before the NBA season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Wolves are scheduled to host the Detroit Pistons to open the 2020-21 season Wednesday night. It’s not known if Beasley will be available to play, as he could face discipline from the NBA for the incident. Beasley is scheduled to be sentenced in February, and any jail time or home confinement, which won't exceed 120 days, will be served after the season.