Former NBA guard Malik Beasley has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges connected to an illegal sports betting scheme, his attorney confirmed, marking a major turn in an ongoing federal investigation into game manipulation.
Beasley, 29, is scheduled to formally enter his plea on Dec. 9 before a federal judge in Brooklyn, New York, defense lawyer Steve Haney confirmed to ESPN and other outlets. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York also verified that a plea agreement had been reached, though officials declined to outline the specific terms of the deal.
“We are aware of the recent report regarding Malik Beasley and will be monitoring the proceeding,” an NBA spokesperson said in a statement.
Allegations of manipulated statistics
Federal authorities indicted Beasley in June alongside five other defendants, including former NBA veteran Ed Davis. Beasley initially entered a not guilty plea on July 1 to four counts: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Beasley accumulated multimillion-dollar gambling losses and borrowed money from Davis, who was out of the league after previously playing alongside Beasley with the Minnesota Timberwolves. To settle the debt, prosecutors said, Beasley agreed to participate in a scheme to manipulate his individual statistics so bettors could win prop wagers.
According to investigators, Beasley tampered with his play in at least four games during the 2023-24 season while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. In one highlighted contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers, conspirators allegedly wagered tens of thousands of dollars on under bets tied to Beasley’s performance. Beasley finished the contest with only three points, far below his season average of 11.3 points per game. Prosecutors said another game against the Charlotte Hornets was manipulated in similar fashion.
Fallout across the sports betting landscape
Beasley is one of six defendants named in the federal indictment. William Brown pleaded guilty earlier in October, while fellow bettor Robert Gorodetsky is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on Nov. 20, ESPN reported. Ernesto Plascencia has also agreed to plead guilty, according to his legal counsel. Davis, whom prosecutors identified as running the operation, and his former agent, Paolo Zamorano, have pleaded not guilty.
The scandal derailed Beasley’s playing career at a high point. After his season with Milwaukee, Beasley signed with the Detroit Pistons for the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 16.3 points per game and finishing as the runner-up for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. That performance put him in position for a three-year, $42 million contract, but the offer evaporated when federal and league investigators opened inquiries into his conduct. Beasley, who has earned nearly $60 million during his professional career, played earlier this year for the Santurce Crabbers in Puerto Rico.
The case represents the latest federal betting prosecution to impact professional basketball. In 2024, the NBA issued a lifetime ban to former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter after he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud conspiracy for deliberately removing himself from games as part of a betting plot. Meanwhile, fellow NBA guard Terry Rozier faces trial in February over separate allegations that he took himself out of a game to benefit bettors.
Beasley will appear in federal court on Dec. 9 to officially submit his plea, while criminal proceedings against the remaining contested defendants continue.
