Ex-NBA guard Malik Beasley negotiating plea in gambling case

Malik Beasley’s attorney says the former NBA guard is working on a plea deal in his federal betting and bribery case.

Attorney Steve Haney told ESPN on Oct 24 that Beasley, 29, is negotiating with Department of Justice prosecutors and a decision is expected early next week. A recent notice posted on the court docket indicated that he intends to plead guilty, according to ESPN.

The US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York alleges that Beasley deliberately manipulated his statistics in at least four games to benefit gamblers while he was playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023-24.

Beasley, who played for six teams in nine seasons in the NBA from 2016 to 2025, was indicted on federal charges in June. He initially pleaded not guilty to all counts of bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

The indictment alleges that Beasley lost millions of dollars gambling during his career and agreed to adjust his performance so his alleged co-conspirators could wager on his statistics.

Beasley, a first-round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, earned nearly US$60 million (S$76.7 million) in his NBA career. He averaged 11.7 points in 578 games with the Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, Bucks and Detroit Pistons.

Former NBA player Ed Davis also was charged in the case and has pleaded not guilty. REUTERS