NBA’s Beasley No Longer Subject of Investigation

Former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is no longer a target in a federal gambling probe, per Beasley’s attorneys¹. It’s an abrupt end to one of the highest profile gambling cases in professional sports, and it could have significant ramifications for other pro athletes facing
similar inquiries.

In June of this year, federal authorities first announced that they would be investigating Beasley’s actions during the 2023-2024 season, when he was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. The investigation stemmed from reports from sportsbooks that they had detected unusual betting surrounding Beasley, raising questions about potential illegal prop bets².

But after more than a month of investigation, attorneys for Beasley declared that they had spoken with Eastern District of New York authorities, and that Beasley is no longer the target of the investigation. In a statement to ESPN, Steve Haney, one of Beasley’s lawyers, announced that “Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” adding that, “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”³.

Beasley, for his part, will look to move forward. Prior to the investigation, Beasley and the Pistons were discussing a three-year, $42 million contract to keep the sharpshooter in Detroit⁴, and it’s entirely possible that this investigation may have been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

But the abrupt end to this investigation may be significant. As of right now, several notable professional athletes, including the Cleveland Guardians’ Luis Ortiz and the Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier, are still under investigation. The fact that the investigation into Beasley turned up no noteworthy evidence may help to shorten these other inspections currently rocking the sports world.

1. NBA Player Malik Beasley is No Longer a Target in Federal Gambling Probe, According to Report, AP News (August 12, 2025, 1:48 PM EDT) ↩︎
2. Shams Charania, Sources: Pistons’ Malik Beasley Subject of Federal Gambling Probe, ESPN (June 29, 2025, 12:10 PM ET) ↩︎
3. AP News, supra note 1 ↩︎
4. Charania, supra note 2 ↩︎

Henry Bartholomew is a guest author who periodically contributes to the UB Law Sports & Entertainment Forum.  The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University at Buffalo School of Law or the UB Center for the Advancement of Sport.