Federal probe no longer targets Malik Beasley, attorneys say
malik-beasley-cleared-in-federal-gambling-investigation
NBA guard Malik Beasley is no longer considered a target in the federal gambling investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, his lawyers told ESPN on Friday.
Attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter said they met repeatedly with prosecutors before learning that investigators had ruled Beasley out of the inquiry, which focused on wagering activity involving NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season. Haney called the months-long process “the opposite of the presumption of innocence,” noting that Beasley remains uncharged.
A spokesperson for the Eastern District declined to comment. The NBA previously said it is cooperating with federal authorities.
News of the probe froze Beasley’s free agency on June 29, one day before the market opened. Sources told ESPN that the 28-year-old and the Detroit Pistons had been close to a three-year, $42 million agreement that collapsed once the team learned of the investigation. Other interested clubs also pulled back at that time, though several have since stayed in contact with his representatives.
Beasley finished second in the 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year voting after averaging 16.3 points and appearing in all 82 games for Detroit. His 319 made three-pointers set a single-season franchise record and ranked second in the league behind Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards. He also logged 248 catch-and-shoot threes, the most recorded since player-tracking began in 2013-14, according to GeniusIQ.
The guard joined the Pistons last summer on a one-year deal. Because Detroit used its full midlevel exception on Caris LeVert, the most the team can offer Beasley to re-sign is $7.2 million, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Other franchises with room to exceed that figure include the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, while the Brooklyn Nets still have more than $20 million in cap space.
The investigation stemmed from unusual betting patterns during Beasley’s previous season with the Milwaukee Bucks, when he averaged 11.3 points in 79 games and started 77 times. One sportsbook flagged heavy action on a Jan. 31, 2024 Bucks–Trail Blazers matchup that drove odds on Beasley collecting fewer than 2.5 rebounds from +120 to ‑250; he finished with six boards.
The case surfaced amid heightened scrutiny of gambling in the NBA. Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban last year for betting violations, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier remains under federal review for a separate 2023 incident. The National Basketball Players Association reiterated Friday that, aside from Porter, it has seen no evidence of broader gambling issues but said prop bets have led to increased harassment of players.
Beasley previously pleaded guilty in 2020 to a felony charge of threats of violence, served 120 days in jail after the 2020-21 season and received a 12-game suspension from the league in 2021.
Source: ESPN
