Malik Beasley pleads not guilty in NBA gambling probe

Malik Beasley pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, as federal prosecutors accused the former Milwaukee Bucks guard of helping drive a sports-betting scheme that reached at least four NBA games. A magistrate judge released Beasley on a $100,000 bond co-signed by his mother and father and barred him from gambling or contacting witnesses and co-defendants. His lawyer entered the plea for him during the brief arraignment, where Beasley spoke little.

The indictment says Beasley worked with former NBA player Ed Davis in 2024 to manipulate his performance so Davis and others could place fraudulent wagers on his statistics. Prosecutors say the arrangement was tied to gambling debts Beasley owed Davis, including loans Davis extended after Beasley had piled up millions in losses despite earning tens of millions over a nine-year NBA career. The case centers on wagers totaling more than $75,000 and winnings of at least $121,000. In one game, a Jan. 6, 2024 matchup between the Bucks and Cavaliers, prosecutors say Beasley was told to stay under 3.5 rebounds and finished with one. The alleged scheme also reached games against the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 27, the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10 and the Brooklyn Nets on March 21. A text exchange cited in the indictment includes Davis telling Beasley, “Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting.”

Beasley is one of six people charged in the indictment. Davis and three other co-defendants were arrested Monday. The wider sweep has produced more than three dozen arrests, including Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups in separate cases. Beasley missed the most recent NBA season while under investigation and later played for a Puerto Rican team co-owned by Bad Bunny. His lawyer, Jason Goldman, said Beasley looks forward to fighting the charges and remains presumed innocent.