Malik Beasley remains under investigation in federal betting probe as NBA Summer League begins
With the NBA Summer League set to tip on Thursday, Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley remains under investigation in a widespread federal gambling probe.
On the eve of NBA free agency, ESPN reported that federal authorities are investigating Beasley in a multi-year inquiry that has ensnared numerous professional athletes. Beasley, the Pistons’ third-leading scorer in the playoffs, entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. The sharpshooter engaged in advanced negotiations with the Pistons on a three-year, $42 million deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, before the reports surfaced.
Beasley is the third NBA player who has come under federal investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Last summer, Beasley joined the Pistons on a one-year, $6 million deal.
“In my career I’ve represented hundreds of clients who have been under federal investigation that have never resulted in federal charges,” Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told iGB on Tuesday.
“Malik deserves that presumption of innocence. At this point there have been no criminal charges. We hope that people will reserve judgment. The cloud of an investigation creates this presumption that he must have done something wrong, which is unfair to him.”
Porter scheme: A cardinal sin
Last July, former Toronto Raptors centre Jontay Porter pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Porter is the first NBA player to be permanently banned from the league for a gambling-related offence since the 2018 PASPA decision.
Porter, the younger brother of Nets star forward Michael Porter Jr, is one of six defendants indicted for their roles in a comprehensive gambling conspiracy. Months after his permanent expulsion from the NBA, Porter admitted to manipulating the outcomes of several props on his statistical performance for financial gain. Last March, Porter left a game early while feigning a stomach illness.
According to prosecutors, Porter took part in a scheme where a syndicate made a profit of $1.1 million on a same-game parlay that contained a series of his props.
The operator later froze the payout due to suspicion of criminality. While Porter initially faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, he will likely receive a lesser sentence. He is eligible for a sentence of 41 to 51 months, based on federal guidelines, and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
Before Porter received his lifetime ban, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described match-fixing as a “cardinal sin” among league players in violating the integrity of the game.
“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify abnormal or suspicious activity, this matter also raises important issues about the regulatory framework in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players,” Silver wrote at the time.
Since Porter’s ban, some sportsbooks have responded by limiting prop bets available on role players off the bench.
Feds also probe Rozier
In January, reports surfaced that federal law enforcement investigated Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier over potential irregular betting patterns in 2023. The investigation centred on a March 2023 game between Charlotte and New Orleans when Rozier played for the Hornets, according to the NBA. Rozier left the game after 9 minutes and 36 seconds while citing a foot issue.
In 30 games with the Hornets in 2023-24, Rozier averaged a career high 23.2 points per game. Rozier started 23 games for the Heat last season.
Rozier is entering the final season of a four-year, $96.3 million contract he signed in 2021. Rozier has not been indicted in the matter or suspended by the NBA.
‘Hit the unders for big numbers’
In January, federal law enforcement authorities placed Shane Hennen of Las Vegas under arrest in the Porter gambling case as he attempted to board a one-way flight to Colombia via Panama. Hennen carried multiple cellphones and $10,000 in cash as he planned to leave the country from Harry Reid International Airport. A pro poker player, Hennen is also a large sports bettor who has posted multiple six-figure tickets on his website, SugarShaneWins.com.
None of the six defendants, including Porter, have been sentenced in the matter. According to court filings, a co-defendant forwarded Hennen a text message on 26 January 2024. The initial text came from an individual identified as “NBA Player 1”. Based on the fact pattern in Hennen’s complaint, the player largely matches the description of Porter.
“Hit the unders for the big numbers,” the message reads. “I’m going to play [the] first 2-3 minutes off the bench, then when I get subbed, [I will] tell them my eye is killing me again.”
Later that night, Porter left a game against the Clippers after four minutes with an eye injury. Porter went scoreless with three rebounds in the Raptors’ 127-107 defeat.
Federal authorities are also investigating a widespread college basketball probe related to a series of suspicious line movements. In February, SI.com reported that authorities began examining potential links between the syndicate involving Porter and a betting ring under investigation for wagering on nine college games.
IC 360, formerly US Integrity, identified several Temple games from 2024 that contained suspicious betting patterns. Before Temple’s 100-72 loss to UAB on 7 March 2024, the line spiked to UAB -8 in a matter of hours. The six-point line movement in a short span of time typically presents red flags.
There are indications that players from nearly a dozen schools are under investigation, multiple sources told iGB. Former Temple guard Hysier Miller has been interviewed by NCAA investigators, but neither he nor any other college player under investigation has been charged.
An impending deadline
Hennen has not been implicated in the college scandal. According to court files, Hennen is facing a 22 July deadline to reach a deal with prosecutors on a plea agreement. An attorney for Hennen did not return a message left by iGB.
Over the course of the investigation, prosecutors allege that a ring orchestrated by Hennen facilitated a number of “fraudulent schemes” that resulted in potentially millions in illicit profits.
Federal prosecutors cited phone records, financial records and betting records as evidence to support their claims. The ring, according to filings, contained a network of proxies and straw bettors located across the country.
“The proof of his guilt is overwhelming,” the US Attorney’s Office wrote in a January 2025 letter.
Saddled in debt
As Beasley’s name surfaced in the NBA investigation, the former Florida State guard has also been targeted in multiple lawsuits across the nation. Last week, the Detroit News reported that Beasley owes creditors about $8 million for various missed payments since he turned pro. The debts include five-figure payments for rent and dental expenses and he owes $26,827 to Cairo Cuts, a Milwaukee barbershop, according to the report.
In November 2023, Beasley signed a four-year marketing agreement with Hazan Sports Management. Under the deal, Beasley appointed HSM as his exclusive marketing agent in charge of monetising his name, image and likeness. HSM provided Beasley with a cash advance of $650,000 against future marketing revenue from the NIL deals, court records show. But in February, Beasley abruptly terminated the deal after leaving HSM for another agency.
HSM has filed a $2.5 million lawsuit against Beasley for breach of contract. When reached by iGB, Hazan Sports Management President Daniel Hazan declined comment.
The Pistons open the summer league on 11 July against the Knicks. Silver is scheduled to hold a press conference on general league matters later this week.
Addressing the Beasley investigation, NBA spokesman Mike Bass told iGB that the league is cooperating with the federal probe.
A spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.