National Basketball Association (NBA) star and current free agent Malik Beasley is under investigation by the United States District Attorney’s Office over gambling allegations tied to league games.
According to ESPN, the allegations stem from the 2023–24 NBA season when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks, with a sportsbook detecting unusually high betting interest on his stats starting in January 2024. The investigation is focused on a game between Milwaukee and the Portland Trail Blazers on January 31, 2024, during which the odds on Beasley fluctuated significantly.
“An investigation is not a charge. Malik is afforded the same right of presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now, he has not been charged with anything. We hope people reserve judgment until he’s charged — or if he is charged. It’s not uncommon for there to be a federal investigation,” Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, said in a statement.
The 28-year-old is coming off his first season with the Detroit Pistons in the 2024–25 NBA campaign, where he averaged 16.3 points per game and appeared in all 82 regular season games. Beasley also made 319 three-pointers, the most in a single season in Detroit’s franchise history.
It was reported that the Pistons’ management and Beasley were in talks over a three-year, $42 million contract to end his free agency, but negotiations have been paused following the emergence of the allegations.
This is not the first time Beasley has run afoul of the law. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail, which he served after the 2020–21 season, and was also suspended for 12 games by the NBA in 2021.
Selected 19th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2016 NBA Draft, Beasley has also played for the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Pistons during his nearly decade-long career.
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