Former NBA Player Beasley Seeking Plea Deal in Illegal Sports Betting Case
Jesse M. Cox Published 28/10/2026
Former NBA player Malik Beasley is seeking a plea deal from the Department of Justice in an illegal sports betting case. Beasley is accused of manipulating his stats during several NBA games in the 2023-24 season to enable bettors to win player prop bets they placed on him. His lawyer confirmed that he is working toward getting Beasley a plea deal.
Beasley and Ed Davis, another former NBA player, are accused of conspiring with four others as part of an effort to pay off millions of dollars in gambling debts. In June of 2025, the United States Attorneys' Office announced that Beasley was under investigation for gambling and placing prop bets on NBA games. He was indicted on these charges a year later.
Former NBA player Beasley intends to plead guilty
According to a report by ESPN, Beasley's lawyer, Steve Haney, has filed a notice with the Eastern District of New York that his client intends to plead guilty in this case. Beasley is facing charges for his alleged role in this bribery and betting scheme.
In a text message sent to ESPN, Haney's indication was that Beasley has not signed a plea deal with prosecutors. However, Haney did acknowledge that talks are ongoing. He was expecting that a decision could come sometime this week.
The judge overseeing his case has asked a federal magistrate in Brooklyn to schedule a hearing for Beasley to change his plea.
Beasley played for six NBA teams over a nine-year career. He most recently played for the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25. However, all of the charges he is facing stem from his time with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 season.
Originally, Beasley denied all involvement in this betting scandal
If he does plead guilty and accept a plea deal, Beasley will be doing a complete 180-degree turn from his original denials of all involvement in this alleged betting scheme.
The former NBA player pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. He proclaimed his innocence through Haney.
"An indictment is nothing but a probable cause one-sided charging document," Haney told CBS Sports in a June statement. "It is not evidence, and Malik maintains his presumption of innocence throughout this two-year investigation. We ask that people reserve judgment until all the facts are known."
According to prosecutors, Beasley deliberately manipulated his statistics in at least four games during the 2023-24 season. This was done so that gamblers could place player prop bets on his stats and win money based on his performances.
In the indictment filing, prosecutors claim that Beasley's co-defendants would select the game they were going to bet on his stats. The games they selected were not nationally televised. Beasley would then determine whether he would seek to hit the over or the under on his scoring and rebounding player props during those games.
Beasley would be the second NBA player to plead guilty to gambling charges
If Beasley does indeed plead guilty, he will be the second NBA player to admit guilt in a gambling scandal. In 2025, former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a similar gambling ring.
Former NBA players Terry Rozier, Damon Jones, and Chauncey Billups are also facing charges for their roles in betting schemes.
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