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Former Milwaukee Bucks Starter Allegedly Gambled on NBA Games During 2023-24 Season

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 7:19 PM ET

Former Milwaukee Bucks starting shooting guard Malik Beasley was able to turn his lone season with the team into a nice pay raise. He signed a one-year contract worth the veteran minimum with the Bucks ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season with the hopes that playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo (and eventually Damian Lillard) would help him have a year worth a more lucrative deal in the future.

And it did.

In 2023-24, Beasley played in 79 games (77 of them starts) and shot a career-best 41.3% from three while averaging 11.3 points per game. His 224 three-pointers made that year were the second-most in franchise history.

Former Milwaukee Bucks Guard Malik Beasley Had an Even Better Season with the Detroit Pistons

Former Milwaukee Bucks Starter Allegedly Gambled on NBA Games During 2023-24 Season 1 Dec 26, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) scores against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The NBA veteran minimum contract is worth just north of $2 million. Following his strong season in Milwaukee, Beasley was offered and signed a one-year $6 million contract to play for the Detroit Pistons.

He was even better with them.

Last season, Beasley averaged 16.3 points, the second-best average of his career, and shot 41.6% from three, a new career high.

It appeared as if the former Bucks guard was poised to get a longer deal this summer in free agency, with some thinking he could make roughly $14 million a season.

Now, though, that seems unlikely.

Malik Beasley Allegedly Bet on Basketball While Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks

Former Milwaukee Bucks Starter Allegedly Gambled on NBA Games During 2023-24 Season 2 Mar 30, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malik Beasley (5) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday morning, ESPN senior insider Shams Charania reported that Beasley is being investigated by the NBA for possibly gambling on NBA games during the 2023-24 NBA season. That year, as mentioned, was the one he spent in Milwaukee:

Reporting for @SportsCenter — U.S. District Attorney’s office investigating Detroit guard Malik Beasley for allegedly gambling on NBA games, prop bets during the 2023-24 season: pic.twitter.com/RWirWOEHsi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025

And, as Charania notes, not only is the former Bucks sharpshooter being investigated by the NBA, he is also being looked into by the US Attorney’s Office.

Obviously, this will hurt his value in free agency, and he may end up going unsigned until the situation is resolved.

This is not a first for Beasley, unfortunately. Early in his career, he was suspended by the NBA following his felony arrest for pointing a rifle at and threatening a family member.