Malik Beasley gambling investigation
Pistons guard Malik Beasley is reportedly under an investigation related to gambling on NBA games and props.
NBA veteran Malik Beasley was cleared of any wrongdoing in a federal gambling investigation, which means he could potentially return to the league.
Basketball fans learned about the investigation in June, though the allegations were looking into his actions from the 2023-24 campaign. Even though Beasley played all of last season with the Detroit Pistons, the Eastern District of New York was investigating prop bets from the season prior when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks.
After news of the allegations spread, while he was never charged with a crime for this incident, clips of his “lowlights” spread on social media. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, however, Beasley is no longer the subject of federal investigations.
So what does that mean for Beasley’s future in the NBA? He remains a free agent and could sign with any team that has roster space.
According to his lawyer, Steve Haney, this investigation has done significant damage to Beasley (via ESPN):
“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney told ESPN. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”
Beasley was expected to sign a three-year deal with the Pistons worth $42 million before the allegations surfaced, per HoopsHype. However, that crumbled once the investigation was reported on June 29. Perhaps those talks are rekindled soon.
Earlier this month, Beasley liked a post on social media about how the Pistons still have one roster spot remaining.
While the Pistons retain his Non-Bird Rights, per Spotrac’s Keith Smith, Detroit can now offer Beasley significantly less than the initial $14 million average annual value at $7.2 million.
The Detroit Pistons still hold Malik Beasley’s Non-Bird rights as an unrestricted free agent. Detroit can offer Beasley a contract starting at $7.2 million. Detroit is just over $21M under the luxury tax with one open standard roster spot.
As a UFA, Beasley is free to sign with…
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 22, 2025
Smith added that there are several teams that could offer Beasley more than $7.2 million as a free agent.
Brooklyn Nets ($15 million in cap space)Charlotte Hornets ($14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception)Chicago Bulls ($14.1 million NTMLE)Washington Wizards ($14.1 million NTMLE)Indiana Pacers ($13.5 million NTMLE)Oklahoma City Thunder ($8.5 million NTMLE)Miami Heat ($7.3 million NTMLE)Sacramento Kings ($7.3 million NTMLE)
The Bulls and Heat (like the Pistons) have an open roster spot, per Yossi Gozlan’s CapSheets.com, while the Pacers and Kings could create one by cutting one of their non-guaranteed contracts.
The Golden State Warriors are another team that could get involved using the NTMLE depending on what happens with Jonathan Kuminga.
Here is more from ESPN:
“Several teams have maintained contact with Beasley’s representation during the past few weeks about his status, sources said.”
SNY’s Ian Begley added that the Knicks are one of the teams that “have done some background work” on Beasley’s situation.
New York can only offer Beasley a veteran minimum, though, which is worth around $3.5 million next year for a player with his service time. Begley added that Beasley “garners strong interest” from teams that can offer more than the minimum.
Knicks are among teams that had done background work on Malik Beasley’s situation, how likely/unlikely a suspension in 2025-26 was for the free agent. ESPN reports that Beasley is no longer a target of federal gambling investigation. NYK currently has vet min to offer free agents
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 22, 2025
As one of the best shooters in the league, Beasley has plenty of reasons to accept as much money as he possibly can as he was acing both financial and legal issues long before the gambling investigation began.
To review: Beasley was arrested in September 2020 (shortly after he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves by the Denver Nuggets, where he began his pro career) for pointing a gun at a family parked in front of his home.
He was charged with marijuana possession and felony threats of violence. Beasley then signed a four-year extension with the Timberwolves.
However, this was reportedly a complicated decision for the organization (via The Athletic):
“There were concerns inside the organization, a source who worked for the team at the time told The Athletic, about what that kind of wealth would mean for a player who, they believed, had a volatile life off the court. Gersson Rosas, the then-president of basketball operations, felt that the Wolves could provide Beasley with the support and stability to help him work through his issues, team sources said.”
He eventually pleaded guilty to one felony count of threats of violence, but drug charges were dropped.
Beasley took out a loan of more than $4.5 million from South River Capital (known for lending money to athletes) in 2021.
Less than one year later, he was sued to receive payment. It was around then the Timberwolves traded him to the Jazz. Here is more from The Athletic:
“He was traded to Utah the next summer as part of a deal for Rudy Gobert, but the Wolves also continued to have reservations about trusting him to keep his life off the court on the straight and narrow, a team source said.”
Since then, unfortunately, the issues have only gotten worse and not better for Beasley.
He eventually did pay approximately $1.1 million to South River in 2023 and the next year, the judgment was vacated “per agreement” between the two parties.
The fiscal issues continued as he borrowed money from the sports finance fund at Aliya Capital Partners in August 2024, and reportedly pledged his NBA wages to pay it back.
Meanwhile, court records obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel indicated indicated Beasley received “tens of thousands” in loans from multiple businesses when he played for the Bucks in 2024. He provided a loan agreement and promissory note to a barbershop and a dentist.
Judges later ordered him to pay approximately $26,000 to the barbershop and approximately $34,000 to the dentist. Garnishment were placed on the wages he received from the Pistons beginning in February 2025.
With compounding troubles, though, it did not stop there. Detroit Free Press also reported that the NBA veteran was sued by his property manager on two different occasions earlier this year.
Beasley was sued for non-payment exceeding $14,000 in March and failed to report to the hearing. The NBA player was then sued again in June for non-payment exceeding $7,000 and he once again did not show up to court when summoned.
He was evicted from his apartment in Detroit earlier this month, via ESPN.
The property manager is Paperclip Properties LLC, which is a subsidiary of Bedrock Detroit, a real estate owned by Rocket Companies chairman Dan Gilbert (who is also the governor of the Cleveland Cavaliers.)
Beasley was also sued by his former marketing agency, Hazan Sports Management, for failing to pay back an advance worth $650,000. That suit sought $2.25 million in damages and legal fees, according to ESPN, though it is now in flux.
Fans can likely expect an NBA team to take a chance on Beasley, as he is indeed one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. But just because the gambling investigation is over does not mean that he suddenly has the cleanest record for potentially interested suitors.