The federal gambling probe in the NBA could be taking a different turn. Malik Beasley has notified the court that he intends to change his plea in the ongoing federal sports gambling investigation into the NBA. Beasley, a nine-year NBA veteran who initially entered a plea of not guilty following his indictment this summer, has entered active plea negotiations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
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Steve Haney, a lawyer for Beasley, declined to confirm the nature of the negotiations with the Department of Justice prosecutors. It’s been reported that the discussions concern charges alleging he manipulated his on-court performance as part of an illegal sports wagering scheme during the 2023–24 season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Beasley hasn’t played in an NBA game since early May 2025.
Court filings in Brooklyn revealed that Beasley’s defense team informed the judge of its intention to alter its legal strategy. Steve Haney clarified that while final plea agreements are still being finalized with prosecutors, formal decisions are expected early next week.
The shift marks a significant turnaround for the former first-round draft pick. In July, he entered a not guilty plea in New York federal court, where he’s facing allegations of bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.
The federal indictment alleges that Beasley accumulated millions of dollars in personal gambling debts. That allegedly led to him taking a financial loan from former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Ed Davis.
To assist other bettors in winning wagers on his individual player statistics, Beasley allegedly altered his performance across at least four games, including matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 26, 2024, the Charlotte Hornets on February 27, 2024, the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, 2024, and the Brooklyn Nets on March 21, 2024.
According to evidence cited in court documents, Davis messaged Beasley in late December 2023 regarding their betting strategy, writing, “Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting. Everything else, they got the edge.”
The legal pivot by Beasley coincides with similar moves by several of his co-defendants charged in the six-person indictment. Co-defendants Robert Gorodetsky and Ernesto Plascencia have officially notified the court of their intention to change their pleas to guilty.
It comes after William Brown reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Defense attorneys representing Gorodetsky and Plascencia confirmed their plans to alter their pleas but declined to offer further public comment ahead of scheduled hearings next month.
Conversely, Ed Davis and Paolo Zamorano, Davis’s former sports agent, have both maintained their not-guilty pleas as proceedings continue.
The fallout from the federal investigation drastically impacted Beasley’s professional career. Selected 19th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, Beasley played for six franchises: the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons. He accumulated an estimated $59.9 million in career playing salary.
In the summer of 2025, Beasley was poised to sign a three-year, $42 million contract extension with the Pistons before the franchise learned of his active federal investigation. The contract offer was rescinded, and he did not sign with any team for the 2025–26 or 2026–27 seasons. He did have a brief stint playing in Puerto Rico in 2026.
Beasley’s case represents one piece of an expansive crackdown by federal law enforcement on illegal gambling networks and insider information sharing involving current and former NBA figures. Over the past two years, six players have faced federal indictments.
Former NBA player Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA and pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in 2024. 11-year NBA veteran Damon Jones also entered a guilty plea earlier this year for selling inside information obtained through his team access to bettors. Meanwhile, guard Terry Rozier and a co-defendant remain scheduled for trial in 2027 after pleading not guilty to charges related to prop bet manipulation.
Former NBA player and later Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups’ trial has been delayed until next year. Billups faces charges primarily related to a separate alleged illegal poker scheme. So far, a defendant has denied that a person whose description closely matched Billups provided information on Blazers games.
As the Department of Justice continues its prosecutions, Beasley’s expected decision on a plea change early next week could be a new twist in the league-wide gambling probe.