Malik Beasley Negotiating Plea Deal With DOJ in NBA Betting Case, Lawyer Says

Former NBA guard Malik Beasley is negotiating a plea agreement with the Department of Justice, his attorney Steve Haney said Saturday, Oct. 24. Haney told The Associated Press the talks have "an expected direction in the coming days."

Beasley, 29, pleaded not guilty in July in New York federal court. Court records from Friday night indicated he intends to change that plea, according to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov. Haney told the outlet Beasley has not yet decided whether to plead guilty and is expected to make a final decision early next week. No plea agreement has been signed.

What prosecutors allege

Beasley was one of six people charged in an indictment dated June 29 and unsealed this summer. All six face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The case is part of a federal gambling investigation that has involved more than three dozen arrests.

Prosecutors allege Beasley fixed or tried to fix his performance in at least four games with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023-24 season. The indictment lists games against the Cavaliers on Jan. 26, the Hornets on Feb. 27, the Clippers on March 10 and the Nets on March 21, all in 2024.

The alleged mechanism was prop bets on his individual stats. Prosecutors say bettors wagered that he would finish under certain thresholds, and in exchange the bettors bribed him and his debts to former teammate Ed Davis were reduced or eliminated.

Beasley had run up millions of dollars in gambling losses and borrowed from Davis, according to the indictment. Davis is accused of acting as Beasley's "gatekeeper" in the scheme.

In a Jan. 26, 2024 text quoted in the indictment, Davis told Beasley: "Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting. Everything else they got the edge."

The indictment also describes how the alleged plan came apart. Prosecutors say text messages from other defendants celebrated when Beasley shoved a teammate out of the way to go over his rebounding line with 1.1 seconds left against the Clippers. Then in the Nets game, Beasley exceeded his rebound limit and the co-defendants demanded their money back from Davis, according to the indictment.

The defense position

Beasley's side has not conceded the facts. In a June statement to CBS Sports, Haney said, "An indictment is nothing but a probable cause one-sided charging document. 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."

The plea talks do not change the legal status of the charges. Until a plea is entered in court, the allegations remain allegations.

The other defendants

Beasley is not the only defendant who has been contesting the case. Sports agent Paolo Zamorano, 39, Beasley's former agent, who once also represented Davis, has pleaded not guilty. Davis has pleaded not guilty as well.

Hoops Rumors reports the three other men charged in the case have pleaded or will plead guilty. Eurohoops reports a prosecutor told Beasley that three of the remaining active defendants intended to change their pleas, and that his defense team had earlier delayed any move to review the evidence the government turned over.

Where the wider probe stands

Former NBA player Damon Jones, 49, pleaded guilty in April. Jontay Porter pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was permanently banned by the NBA after a league investigation found he had given confidential information to bettors.

Terry Rozier faces charges in a separate gambling case and has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for February.

Beasley's career and finances

Beasley last played in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25 on a one-year, $6 million contract. He averaged about 16 points per game and scored 20 in his final game, a playoff loss to the Knicks. He is one of five players in league history with more than 300 three-pointers in a season.

His money troubles were already public before the indictment. They include disputes with a Detroit landlord, a Milwaukee barber and a Minnesota dentist, and a 2025 lawsuit from a sports marketing agency that produced a $1 million default judgment against him.

Since the charges, he has played briefly in Puerto Rico for Cangrejeros de Santurce. No NBA team has signed him.

What comes next

Haney has said Beasley will decide early next week whether to plead guilty. If he does, the terms of any agreement, including which counts he admits to, are expected to become public when he appears in court.