Malik Beasley Agrees to Plea Deal in Illegal Sports Betting Case
AI-generated image · US National Wire · Based on a photo by Haruhi8 (CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
The former NBA player faces charges for allegedly manipulating his own game statistics to satisfy prop bets as part of a larger gambling ring.
Former NBA player Malik Beasley has reached a plea deal with Department of Justice prosecutors regarding his involvement in an illegal sports gambling ring, as CBS Sports first reported. Beasley's legal counsel confirmed the agreement on Tuesday. New York is the scheduled site for Beasley's guilty plea on Dec. 9, though the specific charges he will admit to remain undisclosed.
As reported by CBS Sports, Beasley was indicted on June 29 under allegations that he manipulated his own on-court statistics during the 2023-24 season. This manipulation was reportedly designed to ensure bettors won on specific prop bets. The indictment alleges that Beasley collaborated with former NBA player Ed Davis and four other named co-conspirators to execute the scheme, which was intended to settle millions of dollars in gambling debts.
Evidence cited by prosecutors includes text messages from co-defendants. In one instance, messages showed the group celebrating after Beasley shoved a teammate aside during a March 10 game against the Los Angeles Clippers to exceed his rebounding prop with 1.1 seconds remaining on the clock. CBS Sports reports the operation collapsed following a March 21 game against the Brooklyn Nets; after Beasley surpassed his rebounding prop in that contest, co-defendants demanded that Ed Davis refund their money.
Beasley initially contested the allegations through his attorney, Steve Haney. In a June statement to CBS Sports, Haney described the indictment as a "one-sided charging document" and asserted that Beasley maintained a presumption of innocence. Prior to the plea agreement, Beasley had pleaded not guilty to charges including money laundering conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and bribery in sporting contests.
Beasley is the second NBA player to enter a plea deal related to a gambling ring, following Jontay Porter, who pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Other league figures have faced legal scrutiny: Terry Rozier has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in a separate gambling ring, while Damon Jones and Chauncey Billups were arrested in connection with an illegal poker ring. CBS Sports notes that Jones is also facing illegal sports betting charges.