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NBA free agent Malik Beasley is no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation, his attorneys, Steve Haney and Mike Schachter, confirmed to ESPN on Friday (August 22).
"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, 28, was being investigated by the U.S. district attorney's office for gambling allegations related to NBA games and prop bets, ESPN's Shams Charania and David Purdum initially reported in June. The allegations reportedly stemmed from the 2023-24 NBA season, when Beasley averaged 11.3 points in 79 games and made a career-high 77 starts as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
At least one prominent U.S. sportsbook detected uncharacteristically high betting interest in props on Beasley's statistics starting around January 2024, a gambling industry source confirmed to Purdum.
"An investigation is not a charge," Haney said at the time via ESPN. "Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything."
Beasley, who spent the 2024-25 NBA season with the Detroit Pistons, was reportedly in talks with on a new three-year, $42 million contract to return to the franchise, however, the discussions have paused due to the investigation. The Pistons confirmed that they were aware of the investigation and deferred additional comment to the NBA in a statement to ESPN.
"We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors' investigation," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said to ESPN on Sunday.
Beasley is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.3 points while appearing in all 82 games. The veteran guard had previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence and was sentenced to 120 days in jail, which was served after the 2020-21 NBA season, and suspended 12 games during the 2021-22 season, during his tenure with the Timberwolves.
Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned by the NBA in 2024 after an investigation conducted by the league found that he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and placed wagers on games.