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Upcoming free-agent guard Malik Beasley is under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s office for allegations of gambling related to NBA games, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Sunday.
Beasley, a 28-year-old guard who spent the 2024-25 season with the Pistons, has not yet been the subject of any charges. However, the federal investigation is focused on allegations of Beasley "gambling related to NBA games and prop bets."
There have been incidents of gambling-related investigations on NBA players in past years, including Jontay Porter's banishment from the league in 2024.
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Here are the latest details on the federal investigation into Beasley.
Malik Beasley gambling investigation, explained
Charania reported Sunday that the U.S. District Attorney’s office would be investigating Beasley for allegations related to him gambling on NBA games.
BREAKING: The U.S. District Attorney’s office is investigating Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley on allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets, sources told ESPN. Serious development surrounding one of the top NBA free agents. pic.twitter.com/U0W1QONYva
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025The ESPN reporter also said that Beasley's alleged gambling took place during the 2023-24 season.
Reporting for @SportsCenter -- U.S. District Attorney's office investigating Detroit guard Malik Beasley for allegedly gambling on NBA games, prop bets during the 2023-24 season: pic.twitter.com/RWirWOEHsi
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025With the official NBA free-agent period set to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Beasley has been tracking to earn one of the largest contracts of his career thus far, coming off a solid season in Detroit. Charania also reported that prior to the news of the investigation into Beasley, he was in "serious talks" to re-sign with the Pistons on a three-year, $42 million deal.
However, those talks have been put "on pause" with the federal probe into Beasley's alleged gambling. Until there is a resolution to the investigation, it's set to impact Beasley's status as a free agent and potential negotiations.
Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN on Sunday that "an investigation is not a charge," noting that the veteran NBA guard should be viewed as innocent until proven guilty like any other case.
“Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. constitution," Haney told ESPN. "As of now he has not been charged with anything.”
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told ESPN, "We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation.”
Beasley was drafted by the Nuggets in the 2016 NBA Draft and has been with a few other teams since. Particularly known as a strong scorer and knockdown 3-point shooter, he spent the 2024-25 season with the Pistons and averaged 16.3 points while shooting 41.6 percent from deep, playing a significant role on a Detroit team that returned to the playoffs for the first time in years.
Malik Beasley career earnings
While Beasley is about to hit free agency once again, he has made around $59.95 million in his NBA career already, per Spotrac. He is coming off a one-year, $6 million deal with the Pistons.
If Beasley does eventually secure the reported $43 million contract from Detroit this offseason, it would be his largest contract since a four-year, $60 million deal with the Timberwolves he signed in 2020.
Previous NBA gambling investigations
There have been a few notable gambling-related investigations into NBA players in the past few years. In 2024, the NBA launched an investigation into the Raptors' Jontay Porter for "multiple instances of betting irregularities over the past several months." The league later shared that Porter had disclosed information about his health status to a known sports bettor, and he removed himself from a game due to an illness while the bettor took his "under" props.
The league also found that Porter placed bets using another person's account, including bets that had the Raptors losing games. In April 2024, Porter was banned for life from the NBA, and it also resulted in him facing criminal charges.
Earlier in 2025, the NBA also announced that Heat guard Terry Rozier was under investigation by federal authorities in connection with a 2023 sports betting scandal, with a high volume of bets placed on the then-Hornets guard before he left a game with an injury. However, Rozier was allowed to continue playing for Miami as the investigation continued.
MORE: Everything to know about the gambling investigation into Terry Rozier
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