Former NBA player Malik Beasley is negotiating a plea agreement with the Department of Justice regarding federal gambling charges that he manipulated his on-court performance during the 2024 season, according to legal and court disclosures reported on October 24, 2026.
Malik Beasley, who initially entered a not guilty plea in New York federal court after being indicted, is working toward resolving his federal case. Steve Haney, a lawyer representing Beasley, confirmed in a text message to the Associated Press that the defense and prosecutors were negotiating an agreement with an expected direction in the coming days
.
Federal Indictment and the Milwaukee Bucks Point-Shaving Allegations
The federal investigation centers on accusations that Beasley manipulated his statistics in at least four games while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024. Federal prosecutors outline a scheme where the player intentionally under- or over-performed bookmakers’ expectations in specific contests to enrich sports bettors.
Former NBA player Malik Beasley is negotiating a plea agreement with Department of Justice lawyers over his alleged role in a bribery and betting scheme, one of his attorneys confirmed Saturday. https://t.co/0G0caCJyUv
Court documents specifically name matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 26, 2024, the Hornets on February 27, 2024, the Clippers on March 10, 2024, and the Nets on March 21, 2024. In the March 10 game against the Clippers, investigators obtained text messages of co-conspirators celebrating after Beasley pushed a teammate out of the way to secure a rebound with 1.1 seconds remaining, pushing him over his rebounding prop.
Gambling Debts, Ed Davis, and the Text Message Evidence
Prosecutors state that Beasley fell into millions of dollars in gambling losses, leading him to borrow money from former teammate Ed Davis. According to the indictment, Davis acted as a gatekeeper in the operation, and Beasley’s debts to Davis were reduced or eliminated in exchange for altering his game performance.
“Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting,” Davis told Beasley in a Jan. 26, 2024, text message, according to the indictment. “Everything else they got the edge.”
Ed Davis, former NBA player
Beyond his basketball-related debts, Beasley faced widely publicized financial disputes, including issues with a Detroit landlord, a Milwaukee barber, and a Minnesota dentist, alongside a $1 million default judgment resulting from a 2025 lawsuit filed by a sports marketing agency.
Co-Defendants and the Broader NBA Gambling Probe
Beasley and Davis were charged alongside four other individuals, including sports agent Paolo Zamorano, who previously represented Davis. While Beasley moves toward plea negotiations, Davis and Zamorano have pleaded not guilty to charges including wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.
The sweep represents a wider federal crackdown on professional basketball betting. Damon Jones became the first person to plead guilty in the sweep back in April. Other players indicted in the federal probe include Jontay Porter, and Terry Rozier, whose trial is scheduled for February.
Contract Status and Impact on Beasley’s Playing Career
The federal inquiry upended Beasley’s professional trajectory. Having last taken the floor for the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-25 campaign under the terms of a $6 million, one-year agreement, Beasley has not appeared in the league since. During his final appearance—a postseason defeat against the New York Knicks—he contributed 20 points, capping off a season where his scoring averaged out to 16 points per contest. Furthermore, he shares elite company as one of merely five individuals ever to sink upwards of 300 shots from beyond the arc over the course of a single NBA campaign.
