Report: Pistons’ Malik Beasley subject of federal gambling investigation

Detroit Pistons star guard Malik Beasley is reportedly being investigated by the U.S. District Attorney’s office on allegations of gambling. The alleged gambling relates to NBA games and prop bets.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the investigation. This comes as he’s set to enter free agency, and will presumably impact how teams view Beasley.

“BREAKING: The U.S. District Attorney’s office is investigating Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley on allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets, sources told ESPN,” Charania wrote. “Serious development surrounding one of the top NBA free agents.”

Malik Beasley has been in the NBA since 2016 when he was a first round pick of the Denver Nuggets. That came following his college career with the Florida State Seminoles. He has since played for six different NBA teams, the most recent of which was the Detroit Pistons.

Last season with Detroit, Beasley averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. It was the second highest average point total he’d put together for a season in his career, trailing only the 2020-21 season that he played with the Minnesota Timberwolves and averaged 19.6 points. Along the way, he helped Detroit make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

That had, hopefully, been setting him up to earn a good contract this offseason. However, with the investigation, his future in the NBA is now up in the air.

A spokesman for the NBA, Mike Bass, shared a brief comment on the investigation. Bass said, “We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation.”

This isn’t the first time since gambling has become legalized that a player has found themselves involved in an investigation regarding gambling. Ex-NBA player Jontay Porter was involved in his own gambling investigation. In his case, the news of the investigation broke in March of 2024. By April, the NBA issued a lifetime ban of Porter.

Porter has since faced legal charges over his gambling. He would plead guilty in July of 2024 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In his case, it was found that he, “disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limited his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes and bet on NBA games.”

He would place at least 13 bets $15 to $22,000, for a total of $54,094. The total payout from these bets was $76,059, resulting in net winnings of $21,965. That included betting against his own team.

There is still a long way to go in the Beasley investigation and much to uncover. However, the NBA has had issues with gambling in the past, including officials betting on games illegally. The league will likely want to get to the bottom of things quickly.