Free agent guard Malik Beasley has been indicted by federal prosecutors in New York on sports gambling charges, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Former NBA big man Ed Davis was also indicted.
Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, said in a statement to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press that his client is facing sports betting, money laundering, and wire fraud charges and that they “look forward to defending all charges.”
The federal case centers on allegations from prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York that Beasley and Davis became close while playing together on the 2020/21 Timberwolves and later worked together to manipulate Beasley’s performances in four NBA games for betting purposes during Beasley’s time with the Bucks in the 2023/24 season.
According to prosecutors, Beasley was dealing with gambling losses totaling millions of dollars and joined the betting scheme with Davis and three other people, including former NBA agent Paolo Zamorano, in an effort to pay down that debt.
In one alleged text message sent about a month before the first game at issue, Davis told Beasley, “Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting,” and added, “Everything else they got the edge.”
The games identified by prosecutors include Bucks/Cavaliers on January 26, 2024, Bucks/Hornets on February 27, Bucks/Clippers on March 10, and Bucks/Nets on March 21. In the January 26 game, Beasley took just two field goal attempts and scored three points, and investigators say the group wagered thousands of dollars on that contest.
The betting also allegedly targeted Beasley’s rebounding numbers. The group took the “over” on his rebounds at 3.5 in the Clippers game and celebrated when he grabbed his fourth rebound in the closing seconds. But the plan did not hold up in the Nets game, where the group bet the “under” on his rebounds and Beasley finished with six boards.
Beasley, a prolific three-point shooter, finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2024/25 and had been on track for a lucrative multiyear contract with the Pistons in free agency. Those talks ended after reports surfaced that federal investigators and the NBA were looking into him over a possible link to illegal betting activity. The 29-year-old later signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce, a Puerto Rican team owned by Bad Bunny, while he waits for clarity on his NBA future.
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said the league is reviewing the indictment and will continue to investigate the matter. Bass also noted that Beasley last played in the NBA during the 2024/25 season and Davis last played in the league during the 2021/22 season. He said the league will cooperate with authorities and that “the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Beasley and Davis are now the fourth and fifth former NBA players indicted by federal prosecutors in the ongoing illegal sports gambling probe, joining Terry Rozier, Jontay Porter, and Damon Jones. Porter was permanently banned from the NBA after a league investigation found that he had disclosed confidential information to bettors, while the other cases remain ongoing.
In Other News...
Tigers Linked To Deadline Bat That Could Finally Steady This Lineup
As the deadline approaches, the Tigers are doing what contenders tend to do when the lineup starts to feel a little too easy to pitch around: looking for a bat that can change the shape of an inning. San Francisco outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has emerged as the name worth watching, and his season has given him plenty of appeal. He has been one of the steadiest hitters on the market, pairing a high average with strong contact skills and enough extra-base pop to make him more than just a table-setter.
Getting him, though, would not be simple. Buster Posey has signaled that most of the Giants roster could be in play aside from Logan Webb, which only raises the competition and the cost for anyone calling on Lee. Detroit would likely have to put together a serious offer, especially with Lee holding a player option after the 2027 season, the kind of detail that can turn a rental pursuit into something much more attractive for a club trying to stabilize its offense beyond this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Head To The Bronx With One Big Concern Looming
A trip to the Bronx can tighten the shoulders of a pitching staff in a hurry, and the Tigers head into New York carrying exactly that kind of baggage after a rough finish in Houston. Detroit got five shutout innings and nine strikeouts from Jack Flaherty, but a 3-0 lead slipped away and turned into a 7-5 loss in 10 innings, the sort of defeat that lingers when a road swing is just getting started.
Now the focus shifts to a six-game series against the Yankees, with Casey Mize taking the ball for Detroit in the opener against left-hander Ryan Weathers. The matchup offers the Tigers a chance to steady themselves quickly, but it also puts more pressure on a team already looking for a cleaner answer after the bullpen let a win get away. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Move On From Lefty As Bullpen Reality Sets In
The Tigers trimmed a bit of bullpen depth earlier this week when they moved on from left-hander Konnor Pilkington, a minor league signing who had been in the organization since before Spring Training. Pilkington spent his time with Triple-A Toledo, trying to carve out a path back to the majors, but the numbers again pointed to the same issue that has followed him through his pro career: inconsistent strike throwing.
Even in Toledo, where the Tigers were hoping to find a usable lefty option, Pilkington never got the command piece to settle in. He had the kind of performance that forces a club to keep looking for sturdier relief help, and with one minor league option still available, there is at least some roster flexibility in play as Detroit continues sorting through its bullpen picture. [Read more 🡒]