Federal prosecutors are no longer looking into NBA free-agent guard Malik Beasley as part of a gambling probe.
The player’s attorneys told ESPN on Friday that after “extensive meetings” with the Eastern District of New York, Beasley is no longer a target of their investigation. The feds were looking into the veteran guard for wagering on NBA games and player props after a probe found unusual wagering activity during the 2023-2024 season when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks.
News broke of his alleged involvement in June, but Beasley was never charged by federal authorities. His clearance in the case could help him land a job back in the NBA, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Beasley was close to signing a deal to return to the Detroit Pistons or begin talks with other teams that backed off of him when the probe report came out.
"Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation," Steve Haney, one of Beasley’s attorneys, told ESPN. "An allegation with no charge, indictment, or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence."
Player-prop allegations
ESPN recently reported that a sportsbook flagged wagering on games involving Beasley’s stats in January 2024. In one particular game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Beasley’s 2.5-rebound player prop took significant action on the under and moved from +120 to -250. Beasley easily went over, recording six boards in the contest, and ESPN said the bets that were “deemed unusual” lost.
Beasley averaged 11.3 points per game and made a career-high 77 starts for the Bucks in 2023-24. He averaged more than 16 points per game on a one-year deal with the Pistons in 2024-25, and they were reportedly negotiating a three-year, $42-million contract before the betting allegations surfaced.
The free agent posted a Snapchat story earlier this month, addressing a question about people turning their back on him over the last few months.
“People were saying some crazy things in the media ... people judging me,” Beasley posted. “I’ll tell you one thing, I have a chip on my shoulder. I’m ready to destroy anybody in front of me. I’m ready to prove again I belong in this league.”
Investigation continues
Federal authorities are conducting an investigation that began with banned NBA player Jontay Porter and has since extended to a probe into Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and reportedly multiple college basketball teams.
Porter pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud charges and is awaiting sentencing after he conspired with a group of bettors to manipulate unders for his player props in two NBA games.
Rozier, who has not been charged, is being investigated for unusual betting action on his props during his time with the Charlotte Hornets in 2023. A bettor in Biloxi, Mississippi, wagered more than $13,000 in a 46-minute window, making 30 bets on Rozier’s unders.
