2016 NBA Draft: where are they now?

19. Malik Beasley, Denver Nuggets

A surprise early entrant into the 2016 NBA Draft, Malik Beasley performed well enough in his one season at Florida State to get selected in the first round by the Denver Nuggets with their final pick of the first round. As a Seminole, Beasley would be named to the ACC All-Freshman team as he averaged 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 38.7 percent on three-pointers.

The Nuggets ability to bring in multiple first-round picks was key in allowing them to choose the players they liked most regardless of position or available playing time. Denver already had Gary Harris, Danilo Gallinari. Wilson Chandler, and Will Barton on the wing so it was obvious that Beasley wasn’t going to get early playing time unless the Nuggets were overcome by numerous injuries. Even still, it says a lot about what Denver’s brass thought of Beasley’s ability that they wanted to bring him in despite having an already deep wing rotation.

Just like the previous two choices, Beasley spent the bulk of his rookie year in between the NBA and the G-League. He played 22 total games with the Nuggets and even earned one start despite the logjam at the wing in Denver. His time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce allowed for him to build confidence in his game and it paid huge dividends for the Nuggets in short order.

The following season saw him play 62 games with Denver, but he made a huge leap last season appearing in 81 games and averaging 23.2 minutes per game. Injuries to Barton and the departure of Gallinari and Chandler paved the way for Beasley to get his chance to shine and shine he did. He averaged 11.3 points per game and shot 40.2 percent on three-pointers while attempting five per game. With Barton seeing more time as a starter, the Nuggets have been able to seamlessly slot Beasley into the role vacated by Barton.

With a bright future on the horizon, Beasley looks locked into a big role with Denver.