NBA's Malik Beasley Under Federal Investigation In Connection To Gambling Scandal

The timing could not be worse for Malik Beasley.

The NBA sharpshooter is currently under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s office for allegations related to gambling on NBA games and prop bets.

The investigation is centered around unusual betting activity detected in January 2024, when Malik Beasley was playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, reports indicate that a prominent U.S. sportsbook flagged heavy betting interest on Beasley’s statistics during that time.

Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, emphasized that no charges have been filed, noting that the investigation is still ongoing.

"An investigation is not a charge," Haney said. "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."

The timing of the investigation is particularly significant, as Beasley and the Detroit Pistons were in talks for a three-year, $42 million contract extension. However, ESPN reports that those discussions have now been paused due to the federal investigation.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass confirmed that the league is fully cooperating with federal prosecutors, stating, "We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation."

Beasley was coming off a career-reviving 2024-25 season with the Pistons.

He averaged a team-high 16.3 points per game, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while setting a franchise record with 319 three-pointers, shooting at a 41.6% clip. Beasley appeared in all 82 regular-season games, including 18 starts, and added 14 points per game in Detroit's six-game playoff series against the New York Knicks.

His standout performance was expected to make Beasley a sought-after free agent when the NBA's free agency period begins on Monday.

However, the ongoing investigation has cast a shadow over his future in the league.

This investigation is not the first of its kind in recent memory.

Last year, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA after it was discovered he manipulated his participation in a game to influence the outcome of a bet.

The NBA's probe revealed that, before a Raptors’ game, Porter shared confidential information about his health status with an individual he knew was a sports bettor. This information was then used to place an $80,000 parlay bet that had the potential to pay out $1.1 million if Porter underperformed during the game.

Porter’s misconduct extended beyond just the leak of information. The investigation determined that he intentionally limited his own participation in the game to influence the outcome of the bet.

Earlier this year, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was the subject of an investigation into gambling allegations, though no charges have been filed against him. The inquiry centers around a March 23, 2023, game between Rozier's Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans, during which his early exit from the game raised suspicions among sports bettors.

"In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier's performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal in January 2025. "The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation."

In the first quarter of the game, Rozier played just 9 minutes and 36 seconds, finishing with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. While his stats were productive for a typical quarter, they were well below his usual output for an entire game.

What raised further eyebrows, however, was Rozier's sudden departure from the game, citing a foot issue.

He never returned to the court that night and was subsequently shut down for the remainder of the season, with the Hornets having no playoff aspirations and just eight games left in their schedule.

As the situation with Malik Beasley continues to unfold, his status as an unrestricted free agent remains uncertain. His potential to secure a lucrative contract could be heavily impacted by the outcome of the federal investigation.