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Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny attend the Western Conference Semifinal Playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
Former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley has signed a contract to play professionally in Puerto Rico, landing with the Santurce Crabbers, a team owned by Grammy Award–winning artist Bad Bunny, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Crabbers compete in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN), Puerto Rico’s top professional league, which begins play in March.
“This gives Beasley the opportunity to play for Bad Bunny’s team in Puerto Rico and showcase ahead of 2026 free agency as he awaits a ruling on his NBA investigation. Beasley averaged 16.3 points in all 82 games for the Pistons last season, setting a franchise-record 319 3s,” Charania wrote on X.
Overseas Opportunity as Beasley Awaits League Ruling
GettyMalik Beasley of the Detroit Pistons shoots the ball during the first half against the New York Knicks in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs.
Beasley, 29, has been under NBA investigation since last year over allegations of improper gambling activity tied to the 2023–24 season, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, according to an ESPN report.
The investigation centers on alleged betting activity involving NBA games and player prop markets. ESPN reported on June 29 that Beasley was under federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, prompting the suspension of all free-agent negotiations just one day before the official start of NBA free agency. The league confirmed at the time that it was cooperating with federal authorities.
Beasley has not been charged.
Pistons Contract Fell Through After Investigation Emerged
Before the investigation became public, Beasley and Detroit were nearing agreement on a three-year, $48 million contract that would have brought the sharpshooting guard back to the Pistons after a career year, Charania previously reported.
That deal collapsed once the franchise became aware of the federal probe.
Detroit pivoted quickly, re-signing Caris LeVert and acquiring Duncan Robinson via trade before signing Robinson to a three-year, $48 million contract.
While several NBA teams maintained contact with Beasley’s representation, no contract materialized amid the uncertainty surrounding the investigation.
Attorney: Beasley Not a Target of Federal Case
Two months after news of the probe surfaced, Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN that his client was neither a target nor charged in the federal investigation, which has already resulted in four guilty pleas connected to a gambling scheme involving former NBA player Jontay Porter.
Despite that clarification, Beasley’s free-agent market remained frozen.
According to a gambling industry source cited by ESPN, at least one U.S. sportsbook flagged unusual betting interest related to Beasley’s statistical props beginning in January 2024.
One example involved a Jan. 31, 2024 game between Milwaukee and the Portland Trail Blazers, in which the betting odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds shifted dramatically due to heavy action on the under. Beasley ultimately finished with six rebounds, and the flagged bets lost.
Historic Shooting Season With Detroit
The overseas signing comes after the most productive season of Beasley’s nine-year NBA career.
In his lone season with Detroit, Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game while appearing in all 82 contests and shooting 41.6% from three-point range. He knocked down 319 three-pointers, setting a single-season franchise record for the Pistons and ranking second in the NBA that year, trailing only Anthony Edwards by one make.
Beasley finished second in the 2024–25 Sixth Man of the Year voting and ranked second leaguewide in both total points and total made three-pointers off the bench.
Beasley Still Open to Pistons Reunion
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his NBA future, Beasley has publicly expressed interest in returning to Detroit once cleared.
“If I do go back to the NBA, it’s gonna be with the Pistons,” Beasley said in November, via Pistons Talk. “I haven’t signed anything yet, but I have my strongest ties there. I had my best season there last year, and hopefully I can fit back in with the team.”
For now, Beasley’s focus shifts to Puerto Rico, where a strong showing with the Santurce Crabbers could keep him in playing shape — and on NBA radars — as he awaits resolution of the investigation that has put his career on pause.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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