Nearly four months after pleading not guilty to federal charges accusing him of manipulating his on-court play in an NBA betting scheme, former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley has agreed to reverse course.
Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, confirmed to multiple outlets Tuesday that the 29-year-old reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in the NBA betting case. The terms have not been disclosed.
Beasley initially pleaded not guilty in July, but is scheduled to change his plea Dec. 9 in Brooklyn federal court. He faces four charges stemming from an alleged scheme to manipulate player prop bets during the 2023-24 NBA season as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The agreement comes as the league tightens NBA betting integrity safeguards following a series of player-related gambling scandals.
What Beasley is accused of
Federal prosecutors allege Beasley worked with a group of bettors to manipulate his statistics in at least four games during his sole season in Milwaukee.
According to the indictment, Beasley had accumulated millions of dollars in gambling losses before agreeing to alter his performance and provide advance information that others could use to bet on his statistical unders. He was indicted in June alongside five others, including former NBA player Ed Davis, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The agreement could resolve fewer than all four counts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has not disclosed which charges Beasley will plead guilty to or what sentence prosecutors may recommend.
Co-defendant William Brown pleaded guilty earlier this month, while Robert Gorodetsky and Ernesto Plascencia are expected to follow. Davis and former NBA agent Paolo Zamorano have pleaded not guilty.
NBA betting scandal derails career
The investigation has brought the prime of Beasley’s career to a screeching halt following one of his best seasons.
Beasley made a Pistons-record 319 three-pointers in his last season with the Pistons, finishing second in the NBA behind Anthony Edwards by a single make. He shot 41.6% from beyond the arc, averaged 16.3 points and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Detroit was reportedly preparing to re-sign him to a three-year, $42 million contract, before learning of the federal investigation in the middle of free agency. That would have more than doubled Beasley’s salary from the previous season. Instead, the Pistons withdrew the offer, and Beasley has not played in the NBA since.
NBA betting integrity effort push
The NBA has made efforts to address betting integrity following a string of gambling scandals, including federal cases involving former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter and former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
Earlier this month, the league directed sportsbook partners to stop offering parlays combining multiple unders on the same player’s statistics, along with under bets involving players projected to play fewer than 12 minutes. The restrictions also cover opening-tip wagers and certain individual-play markets considered susceptible to manipulation.
Multiple sources familiar with the process told LSR that the NBA uses a formula to project playing time and distributes daily lists of eligible players to sportsbooks, though those projections do not guarantee actual playing time.
The NBA also named Kalshi and Polymarket its preferred prediction market exchanges this week and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The league says the moves will strengthen betting restrictions, information sharing and oversight of federally regulated prediction markets.
