Malik Beasley is no longer a target of a federal investigation into gambling on NBA games by NBA players, his attorneys have said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is conducting a broad investigation and Beasley’s attorneys, Steve Haney and Mike Schachter, told multiple outlets that Beasley is no longer a target in that investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s office has not confirmed that, although it is not their policy to talk about who is or is not under investigation.
Beasley has been and remains a subject tied to the investigation — which means he is not the primary focus of the investigation but is still part of it and could be charged with a crime — with reports that the feds were specifically looking at a series of 2024 games (when Beasley was with the Milwaukee Bucks). In one of those games reportedly flagged by at least one sportsbook, the prop bet of Beasley under 2.5 rebounds changed from +120 to -250 after large bets were placed. Beasley had six rebounds in that game. Here is what attorney Hanley told Shams Charania of ESPN:
“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney told ESPN. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”
Beasley and the Pistons were reportedly in discussions about his re-signing in Detroit for around three years, $42 million, when news of the investigation went public. After that, any free agent talks around Beasley dried up. Announcing that he is no longer a target in the investigation — and Hanley’s comments — are clearly about getting Beasley a roster spot in the NBA next season. Unfortunately, that is just tougher at this point in the offseason, when most teams have filled up their rosters and the kind of money Beasley was about to sign for is not really available as teams are dealing with the luxury tax and its aprons.
For example, the Pistons now have 14 players under guaranteed contracts and added Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson in the role that Beasley would have filled for them. While it’s possible for Beasley to re-sign in Detroit, the dynamic has changed.
Beasley, 28, averaged 16.3 points a game while shooting 41.6% on 3-pointers for the Pistons last season.
