NBA’s Malik Beasley faces gambling probe, source reports

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    DETROIT — Current NBA free agent Malik Beasley is currently under scrutiny by the U.S. District Attorney’s office over potential gambling connections related to league games, according to a source familiar with the ongoing investigation.

    The individual, wishing to remain unnamed due to a lack of authorization to speak publicly, conveyed these details.

    “We are fully cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ ongoing investigation,” stated NBA spokesperson Mike Bass in a release shared with media outlets.

    The investigation was initially reported by ESPN.

    “No formal charges have been laid against Malik,” Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, explained. “For now, it remains just an investigation. We urge everyone to withhold judgment until any charges are filed, if they are filed. It’s not unusual for federal investigations to take place.”

    The inquiry into Beasley’s activities surfaces over a year following the NBA’s decision to ban Jontay Porter from Toronto, associated with a prop bet investigation which led to his guilty plea for wire fraud.

    Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal was the first to disclose an investigation into Terry Rozier, previously of the Charlotte Hornets, regarding suspicious betting related to his March 2023 game performances.

    Now a Miami Heat player, Rozier has yet to face any criminal charges or disciplinary actions from the league.

    Porter’s expulsion resulted from a similar examination into gaming bets focusing on player statistics – where bettors bet on whether a player will meet or fail specific performance markers during a game.

    The investigation concerning Porter began when the NBA received compelling information from “licensed sports betting operators and entities monitoring legal gambling markets” on suspicious betting linked to his March 2024 game against Sacramento. Allegedly, Porter disclosed his health status to an individual before the game, while another person, identified as an NBA gambler, wagered $80,000 that Porter would fall short of expected performance, which could have netted a $1.1 million payout.

    Last year, Beasley inked a deal with the Detroit Pistons valued at $6 million for one year, aiming for a significant payoff in the subsequent free agency period. Another anonymous party hinted to the press that Detroit expressed strong interest in maintaining Beasley on a long-term basis; however, these proceedings may affect negotiations.

    During the season, Beasley broke a single-season franchise record with 319 successful 3-point shots, spearheading Detroit’s playoff return after their absence since 2019. This win helped them snap their 15-game playoff losing streak in a series against the New York Knicks.

    Beasley tallied an average of 16.3 points that season, maintaining a career rate of 11.7 points across stints at Denver, Minnesota, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee, and Detroit. He reached a personal high average of 19.6 points per game during the 2020-21 season as a member of the Timberwolves.

    Originating from Atlanta, Beasley is an alumnus of Florida State and was the 19th overall pick by the Nuggets in the 2016 draft.

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