Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley—one of the more prominent players set to become an NBA free agent Monday with the free-agency negotiating window starting at 6 p.m. ET—is under federal investigation for potential gambling on NBA games and pro bets, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Beasley’s alleged activities occurred during the 2023-24 season, including when odds on a prop bet related to Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds “moved significantly at sportsbooks before the game.” ESPN also reported that “at least one prominent U.S. sportsbook detected heavy betting interest on Beasley’s statistics” during that season.
Beasley’s had several issues with the law over the years. As Sportico reported, his former agency, Hazan Sports Management, sued Beasley in April in the Southern District of New York for breach of contract and related claims. Beasley allegedly owes more than $1 million to HSM, which contends it advanced the player $650,000 as a “marketing advance” to help him with financial issues. The case remains in litigation. Beasley, 28, also spent 78 days in jail in 2021 for making threats of violence.
A first-round pick (19th overall) by the Denver Nuggets in the 2016 NBA Draft, Beasley has bounced around, playing for six NBA teams. But he thrived with the Pistons in the 2024-25 season, averaging 16.3 points per game, converting 41.6% of his 3-point attempts and finishing second in the NBA in made 3-pointers. HoopsHype lists Beasley as the fourth-best free agent this summer.
News of the federal investigation will undoubtedly give NBA teams pause before proceeding to negotiate with Beasley. ESPN reported that talks between Beasley and the Pistons on a new contract are now on hold.
It should be stressed that an investigation does not mean the target will be charged with a crime, let alone convicted. In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier wasunder investigation for possibly having altered his play during the 2023-24 season to further a betting conspiracy. Rozier, whom the NBA investigated and did not find a violation of any rules, has not been charged.
Some investigations do lead to charges. Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA for his involvement in a conspiracy where he bet against himself in prop bets on his performance in games. During those games Porter would feign injury. Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud last year and is set to be sentenced in December.
The NBA has a sophisticated and multilayered approach to detecting possible betting by players, coaches, executives, referees and owners—all of whom are legally obligated to comply with league investigations. The league continuously keeps watch for irregular activities and works with monitoring companies that look for unusual betting patterns. The NBA is also led by seasoned attorneys, including commissioner Adam Silver and top executives Rick Buchanan and Dan Spillane, who are adept at handling matters that intersect with the law.
At the same time, the NBA is a private business and lacks the sweeping, and frequently intimidating, powers of federal investigators. The feds are armed with the threat that failure to cooperate can make it more likely an uncooperative person is charged with a crime. To that end, the feds can often compel witnesses to talk and share evidence (in contrast, the NBA relies on the voluntary cooperation of people outside the league). They can also use subpoena powers to obtain texts, cell phone records and wire transfer data that are crucial to sports betting investigations.