Malik Beasley of the Detroit Pistons is reported to be the subject of a federal gambling probe. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that federal authorities are investigating allegations of gambling from the 2023-24 season when Beasley was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Authorities are examining both NBA game bets and prop bets.
A gambling industry source told ESPN’s David Purdum that a U.S. sportsbook observed unusual betting patterns involving Beasley around January 2024.
One highlighted game was between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Portland Trail Blazers. The odds for Beasley to have fewer than 2.5 rebounds in that game went from +120 to -250, indicating that a very large amount of money was bet on the under without a corresponding surge on the over. As it happened, Beasley had six rebounds, meaning that the large amount of money on bets that Beasley would have under 2.5 rebounds lost.
As of this writing, Beasley has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Charania reports that Beasley and the Pistons had been in negotiations on a three-year, $42 million contract, but that potential contract has now been put on pause.
Jontay Porter, formerly of the Toronto Raptors, was found last year to have bet on games and leaked confidential information to sports bettors. Porter was banned from the NBA.