Malik Beasley has been indicted on illegal sports gambling charges by federal prosecutors in the United States District Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, along with five others, including fellow former NBA player Ed Davis.
The specifics of the charges Beasley is facing aren't yet known, but the news comes exactly one year after Beasley's name was originally connected to a federal sports gambling investigation. On June 29, 2025, with Beasley and the Detroit Pistons closing in on a three-year, $42 million contract, word broke that he was part of an investigation into allegations of gambling on NBA games and prop bets.
Beasley and Davis, who allegedly became friends while playing together for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2020-21 season, concocted the scheme for the 2023-24 season, according to the federal indictment obtained by The Athletic. Davis offered to loan Beasley money to pay off millions of dollars in gambling debts, according to federal prosecutors, which Beasley would pay off by helping ensure the co-conspirators won their bets. Among the alleged bets was a Jan. 26, 2024 Bucks-Cleveland Cavaliers game, during which Beasley scored just three points, as well as a Feb. 27, 2024, game against the Hornets and a March 21 game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The named defendants are facing charges of sports bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Beasley was coming off one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 16.3 points per game with the Pistons, knocking down 319 three-pointers on 42% shooting, which was the second-most made threes in the league that season behind only Anthony Edwards. After Beasley's name became publicly attached to the federal investigation, Detroit scuttled plans to re-sign Beasley to a lucrative deal and pivoted to bringing in sharpshooter Duncan Robinson from Miami. Beasley sat out the entire 2025-26 season amidst the investigation.
Davis played in the NBA from 2010-22, last appearing in 31 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2021-22 season.
Beasley and Davis are the fifth and sixth current or former NBA players to get indicted on federal sports gambling charges. Jontay Porter pleaded guilty in 2025 to one charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty to four charges for his alleged role in a sports gambling ring. Chauncey Billups was arrested for his alleged role in a rigged poker game, while Damon Jones, a retired 11-year NBA veteran, is expected to change his plea to guilty as he was indicted on charges related to both the rigged poker game and the sports gambling ring.
