Attorneys for NBA player Malik Beasley, Steve Haney and Mike Schachter, have announced that their client is no longer the subject of a federal gambling investigation. They confirmed that the U.S. Attorney`s Office for the Eastern District of New York informed them Beasley would not face further scrutiny in connection with the probe.
Haney expressed strong disapproval regarding the situation, stating, “Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation. 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.”
The investigation initially focused on unusual betting patterns related to Beasley`s rebounding statistics in a January 2024 game while he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. A sportsbook reported a significant increase in bets placed on Beasley achieving under 2.5 rebounds; however, he ultimately recorded six rebounds, leading to losses for those bettors. During this period, reports also surfaced about Beasley`s financial difficulties and pending lawsuits for unpaid debts, which many speculated were connected to the gambling inquiry.
While the U.S. Attorney`s Office has yet to issue an official statement, the news of Beasley being cleared as a person of interest could pave the way for him to finally sign with a team as a free agent.
Prior to the investigation becoming public, Beasley was reportedly close to finalizing a three-year, $42 million contract with the Detroit Pistons. The ensuing uncertainty left him in professional limbo and potentially cost him a substantial sum. It`s improbable that a deal of that magnitude will be available to him now in free agency. Although the Pistons have since acquired Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson, effectively replacing Beasley, they could potentially still offer him a non-Bird rights deal, valued at up to $7.2 million annually, which is significantly less than his initial prospective contract.
