Malik Beasley Under Federal Investigation For Alleged NBA Sports Betting Activity
One of the top NBA free agents is under federal investigation for potential violations related to NBA betting.
Federal authorities launched a probe into free agent guard Malik Beasley this past weekend, led by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
The allegations date to the 2023-24 season, when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks. According to ESPN, the Detroit Pistons, Beasley’s team last season, deferred comments to the NBA.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the league is cooperating with federal prosecutors.
Innocent until proven guilty
The probe cites one specific game on Jan. 31, 2024, between the Bucks and the Portland Trail Blazers. Betting action heavily sided with Beasley recording under 2.5 rebounds, causing that bet’s odds to shorten significantly, from +120 to -250 across numerous sportsbooks.
Beasley logged six rebounds, causing the “over” to win. The bets flagged as suspicious all lost.
The betting activity caused multiple red flags for several operators, which have real-time models and statistics available. They escalated the issue internally and ultimately found the need to involve law enforcement. According to LegalSportsReport, federal officials are now investigating whether any bettors involved had ties to Beasley, either through proxy betting or access to non-public information.
Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, said in a statement, “This is simply an investigation,” Haney said in a statement. “At this point, Malik has not been charged with any crime and there has been no formal accusation of wrongdoing.”
Haney told ESPN, “An investigation is not a charge. 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.”
Possible $42 million contract shelved?
After signing a one-year $6 million free agent deal with the Pistons last year, Beasley became a significant contributor to the team earning its best record since the 2015-16 season.
Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game, played in all 82 games and finished second in voting for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year. He made 319 three-pointers, the second-most in the league and a Pistons single-season record.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Beasley and the Pistons discussed a new contract worth $42 million for three years. However, those talks are on hold until authorities conclude the probe, and league office sources say that other teams are unlikely to pursue a contract while Beasley remains under investigation.
Three NBA betting investigations in 16 months
Beasley is the third NBA player to become the subject of a federal investigation since March 2024.
The first, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, was banned last April, a month after the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York launched the investigation. Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in an NBA betting scheme with four other individuals, all of whom also pleaded guilty.
In January, the same US Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into suspicious sports betting activity surrounding Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. He was not accused of wrongdoing, and the NBA allowed Rozier to finish playing the 2024-25 season amid the investigation. Federal prosecutors cleared him of any involvement in the incident on Monday.
