Free agent Malik Beasley signs with Bad Bunny-owned Santurce Crabbers
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Free-agent guard Malik Beasley has reached an agreement to play for the Santurce Crabbers, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional franchise owned by Grammy-winning artist Bad Bunny, both sides told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday.
The BSN season begins in March, giving the 28-year-old a chance to stay on the court while he awaits the outcome of an NBA investigation into allegations of improper gambling.
Federal authorities and the NBA launched inquiries last year after claims surfaced that Beasley placed wagers on NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources told ESPN. On June 29, ESPN reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York was examining the matter, leading teams to pause contract talks with Beasley one day before free agency opened. The league said at the time it was cooperating with federal investigators.
In August, Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN his client was neither a target nor charged in the probe, which has already produced four guilty pleas tied to a gambling scheme involving former NBA player Jontay Porter.
According to an industry source, at least one U.S. sportsbook noticed unusual betting patterns on Beasley’s statistical props starting in January 2024. Odds on Beasley collecting fewer than 2.5 rebounds in a Jan. 31 game between the Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers shifted from +120 to ‑250 after a surge of action on the under; Beasley grabbed six rebounds and the wagers lost.
Beasley spent last season with the Detroit Pistons, averaging 16.3 points and shooting 41.6% from three-point range. His 319 made threes set a single-season franchise record.
Source: ESPN
