Former NBA player Malik Beasley is negotiating a possible plea agreement with federal prosecutors after pleading not guilty to charges tied to an alleged scheme to manipulate his performance for betting profits and debt relief. His attorney, Steve Haney, said negotiations were underway with an expected direction in the coming days.
The indictment alleges that Beasley coordinated with former teammate Ed Davis before multiple Milwaukee Bucks games in 2024. Prosecutors say Beasley disclosed whether he intended to underperform or overperform in statistical categories, including points and rebounds, so Davis and other co-defendants could place wagers using that nonpublic information.
The indictment says Beasley received bribes, often through reductions or payments of gambling debts owed to Davis. Beasley and Davis were among six defendants charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery in sporting contests, honest-services wire fraud conspiracy, and money-laundering conspiracy. The other defendants include sports agent Paolo Zamorano, William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky and Ernesto Plascencia.
Beasley, Davis and Zamorano have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say each defendant could face up to 20 years in prison on the wire-fraud conspiracy counts, up to 20 years on the money-laundering conspiracy count and up to five years on the sports-bribery count if convicted. The case follows a broader federal gambling investigation that has produced more than three dozen arrests, while former NBA player Damon Jones pleaded guilty in April in a related prosecution.
Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks during the alleged conduct and later completed the 2024-25 season with Detroit on a one-year, $6 million contract. He averaged about 16 points per game and made more than 300 three-pointers that season, becoming one of five players in NBA history to reach that mark. He has not returned to the NBA since the Pistons’ playoff loss to the New York Knicks, leaving the plea negotiations as the next major procedural development in a case that has already ended his playing career for the time being.