TLDR
- Former NBA player Malik Beasley has agreed to plead guilty in a federal sports betting case, according to his attorney.
- Beasley and five others were indicted in June over an alleged plan to manipulate four Milwaukee Bucks games in the 2023-24 season.
- Prosecutors say Beasley owed millions in gambling debts and told gamblers in advance he would change how he played.
- Beasley is scheduled to change his plea on Dec. 9 in federal court in Brooklyn.
- The NBA has told betting partners, including DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop offering some player prop bets this season.
Former NBA player Malik Beasley has agreed to plead guilty in a federal sports betting case. His attorney, Steve Haney, told several media outlets that a plea deal with prosecutors has been finalized.
The terms of the deal were not released. Beasley is expected to change his plea in court in December.
Four Games Allegedly Manipulated
Beasley and five others were indicted in June. Prosecutors allege they ran a scheme to manipulate his performance in four games during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2023-24 season.
The goal was to help gamblers who were betting on player prop markets. These bets focus on a single player’s statistics rather than the final score.
The others named in the indictment are former NBA player Ed Davis, William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia and NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano.
The charges include wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
According to the indictment, Beasley had built up millions of dollars in gambling losses. He was allegedly working off that debt as part of the scheme.
Prosecutors say Beasley told gamblers ahead of time that he would change how he played. Those gamblers then used the information to bet that his stats would fall under set totals.
Beasley earned about $59.9 million over a 10-year NBA career, according to Spotrac. He last played for the Detroit Pistons in 2025.
That season, he made 319 three-pointers, a Pistons record and the second most in the league. He shot 41.6% from three-point range and averaged 16.3 points per game.
The Pistons were reportedly close to signing him to a three-year, $42 million contract. That deal would have doubled his salary.
NBA Tightens Player Prop Rules
Earlier this month, the NBA told its authorized betting partners, including DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop offering some micro-wagers and player prop markets this season. The league cited ongoing concerns about game integrity.
The restrictions cover parlays that combine several under bets on one player’s statistics. They also ban “first-of” markets, such as bets on the first basket, three-pointer, rebound, assist, steal or block.
Bets on who wins the opening tip are also banned. So are wagers on whether a player will miss a specific shot.
Beasley pleaded not guilty in July. He is now scheduled to change his plea on Dec. 9 in federal court in Brooklyn, according to Legal Sports Report.
