Malik Beasley at center of gambling investigation; Pistons pause deal talks with free agent, per report
One of the NBA’s top free agents is now the subject of a serious gambling investigation from the U.S. District Attorney’s office. Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley faces allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN.
One prominent sportsbook reportedly detected unusual betting activity on Beasley props beginning in early 2024. In a Jan. 31, 2024 matchup between the Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers, the odds on Beasley recording less than 2.5 rebounds moved significantly before the game, going from around +120 to -250 after the Under experienced a high amount of action. Beasley recorded six rebounds that night.
“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”
In a statement, the NBA said it was “cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation.”
Beasley and the Pistons were in serious talks on a new three-year, $42 million deal, but those talks have been halted, according to ESPN.
Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game this past season while playing in a career-high 82 games. He hit 319 3-pointers last season, which ranked second most in the NBA behind Anthony Edwards’ 320. Beasley shot a career-high 42% from beyond the arc, and became just the third player in NBA history to make 300 3s while shooting at least 40% from deep.
The 28-year-old entered the NBA as a No. 19 overall pick of the Denver Nuggets back in 2016. Beasley has also played games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and Bucks before inking a one-year deal with Detroit last offseason.
Beasley was suspended for 12 games without pay in 2021 following his arrest and felony gun charge stemming from a September 2020 incident. He accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 120 days in jail, three years of probation with no use of alcohol or drugs and mandatory completion of an anger management program.
This is not the first time an NBA player has been investigated for gambling on the league. Earlier this year, Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier was under federal investigation as part of a wider government probe into a sports gambling ring. Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was also banned from the NBA for life in 2024 due to his involvement in a gambling scandal. He pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.
