By Nicolas Dorigatti
June 29, 2026
Former NBA guard Malik Beasley is at the center of a major federal gambling case after being indicted on charges connected to an alleged scheme to fix his own on-court performance for betting purposes. The case is one of several recent prosecutions that have rocked the NBA's reputation for integrity, following similar charges against players like Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups.
The Indictment
According to an indictment unsealed Monday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Beasley is one of six defendants charged in connection with the scheme. He faces counts of wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. The other five defendants are former NBA player Edward Davis, co-conspirators William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano. U.S. Department of Justice
Several of the defendants were arrested at locations across the country, though Beasley and Zamorano were not immediately taken into custody. Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, said his client had coordinated a voluntary surrender with prosecutors and is expected to be arraigned in New York on July 1. U.S. Department of Justice
How the Scheme Allegedly Worked
Prosecutors say Beasley and Davis became close while teammates on the Timberwolves during the 2020–21 season. Davis allegedly became Beasley's "gatekeeper" in the scheme, extending him loans after Beasley racked up gambling losses totaling in the millions, despite having earned roughly $60 million over his career. In exchange for manipulating his statistics, Beasley allegedly received bribes, often in the form of having those debts to Davis reduced or forgiven. Front Office Sports
The indictment lays out specific examples. Before the Bucks' January 26, 2024 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Beasley allegedly told Davis in advance that he intended to underperform in rebounding, providing that information so Davis and the other co-conspirators could place wagers based on it. Beasley reportedly finished with just one rebound that night, well under the betting line. U.S. Department of Justice
Prosecutors also flagged a February 27, 2024 game against the Charlotte Hornets, a March 10, 2024 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, and a March 21, 2024 game against the Brooklyn Nets as part of the alleged scheme. In one notable detail from the Clippers game, Beasley allegedly hustled to grab a fourth rebound in the closing seconds of a game Milwaukee was already winning comfortably — a play that had no bearing on the outcome but satisfied a prop bet. According to the indictment, a co-conspirator texted afterward that Beasley "had a big sigh of relief" once he secured it. Notably, the scheme is alleged to have failed at least once: during the Nets game, Beasley grabbed six rebounds, well above the total bettors were counting on.
In total, prosecutors say the defendants and their co-conspirators placed fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars tied to Beasley's manipulated performances across multiple sportsbooks. U.S. Department of Justice
Impact on Beasley's Career
The fallout from the investigation has already cost Beasley significant money and opportunity. Word of the federal probe first became public around June 29, 2025, just as Beasley and the Detroit Pistons were closing in on a three-year, $42 million contract. That deal fell apart, and Detroit instead turned to free agent Duncan Robinson. Ironically, the season immediately following his alleged fixing scheme turned out to be the best of Beasley's career — he averaged 16.3 points per game for the Pistons and made 319 three-pointers, the second-most in the league. He has not played in the NBA since, sitting out the 2025-26 season amid the cloud of the investigation, and has not returned to play professionally in Puerto Rico, as he reportedly did the prior year.
Beasley's Defense
Haney has pushed back firmly on the charges, telling reporters that "an indictment is nothing but a probable cause one-sided charging document. It is not evidence and Malik maintains his presumption of innocence throughout this two-year investigation." He has asked the public to reserve judgment until all facts come out. CBSSports.com
The Bigger Picture
Beasley and Davis are now the fifth and sixth current or former NBA players to be indicted on federal sports gambling charges in this sprawling investigation, joining Jontay Porter (who pleaded guilty), Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones. The NBA said in a statement that it is "in the process of reviewing the federal indictment" and will continue investigating alongside federal authorities, adding that "the integrity of our game remains our top priority." CBSSports.com
If convicted, Beasley faces a maximum of 20 years' imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy counts, 20 years on the money laundering count, and five years on the sports bribery count — though sentencing in fraud cases like this rarely reaches statutory maximums. For now, his basketball future, like his legal one, remains entirely unresolved.
Nicolas Dorigatti is a sports business journalist covering the intersection of professional athletics, law, and commerce for Sportsmedia News. His reporting focuses on league integrity, athlete legal matters, and the evolving sports betting landscape.