DETROIT (WXYZ) — The U.S. District Attorney's Office is investigating Pistons guard Malik Beasley, who they believe gambled on NBA games, according to Shams Charania with ESPN.
The report says that the feds are accusing Beasley on gambling on NBA games and prop bets, which is strictly prohibited by league rules. Charania reported that the gambling allegedly happened during the 2023-24 season, before Beasley joined the Pistons.
Beasley is coming off one of the best seasons of his career with the Pistons, averaging 16.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 43 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from three on 9.3 attempts per game, and 67.9 percent from the free throw line. Considered one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the sport, Beasley was third in the NBA in three-pointers made last season and was a finalist for Sixth Man of the Year, a key piece on Pistons team that won it's first playoff games in nearly two decades.
Beasley, whose mother was born and raise in Detroit, is currently a free agent. The 28-year-old was reportedly seeking a new three-year, $42 million deal with the Pistons, but those talks have been paused, according to a source that spoke to ESPN.
Beasley isn't the first NBA player to be investigated for betting on NBA games. Former Toronto Raptors and Motor City Cruise forward Jontay Porter was banned for life for violating the league's gambling rules multiple times. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also currently investigated by the federal goverment for gambling accusations.
“An investigation is not a charge," Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN. "Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”
"We are aware there is an investigation and have no other information," a representative of the Pistons told us in a statement. "Defer any further comment to the NBA."
