The NBA is conducting its own investigation into gambling allegations against Malik Beasley, the free agent guard linked to a federal probe this offseason, the league confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.
The investigation stems from allegations of improper gambling on NBA games and prop bets from the 2023-24 season when Beasley was with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN that his client is “fully cooperating” with the NBA investigation.
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ESPN reported on June 29 that Beasley, 28, was under federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. At the time, the NBA said it was cooperating with the federal investigation.
Two months later, Haney told ESPN that Beasley was not a target and had not been charged in the federal investigation that has resulted in four guilty pleas related to a gambling scheme involving former NBA player Jontay Porter.
The news of the federal investigation broke just before Beasley and the Detroit Pistons were set to complete a three-year, $42 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The offer was pulled, but other teams have expressed interest in Beasley, according to Charania.
The league investigation is believed to be in its final stages, according to a source familiar with the matter. In a recent Instagram post, Beasley wrote that he would be making his decision soon.
At least one U.S. sportsbook detected unusual betting interest on Beasley’s statistics beginning around January 2024, according to a gambling industry source.
The source pointed to a game between the Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 31, 2024. The odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds moved significantly before the game, shortening from around +120 to -250 due to a surge of action on the under. Beasley finished with six rebounds, and the bets deemed unusual lost.
ESPN’s Shams Charania contributed to this report.
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