Malik Beasley, a basketball player for the Detroit Pistons, is being investigated by the U.S. government. He’s suspected of being involved in gambling related to NBA games, possibly betting on games or his own performance.

And this has really brought a big setback to his basketball career, a contract about to be signed is aborted.

So here is the breakdown.

What Is The Reason Malik Beasley Is Investigated?

This is the investigation of what occurred in the previous season (2023-2024), when Beasley was on the team of Milwaukee Bucks.

Sources are adducing that a betting company had realized what was unusual. So on January 31, 2024, a day match against the Portland Trail blazers was seen many people made a bet that Beasley would have less than 2.5 rebounds in a single game. The odds shifted so much, because of so many bets, rather ordinarily this means that somebody must know something that others do not.

But in that game, Beasley actually got 6 rebounds, so those bets didn’t win. Still, the sudden betting was suspicious.

That is why it is being investigated by the federal investigators. They want to know whether Beasley (or his assistant) was engaging in some sort of illegal gambling or whether there was leakage of some information to others.

Is He Guilty?

Right now, no. Beasley has not been charged with any crime. His lawyer said clearly, “An investigation is not the same as being guilty.” He also said Beasley is innocent until proven otherwise just like anyone else in America.

But the fact that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is involved shows that this is being taken very seriously.

How This Affects His Contract

Beasley had a great season with the Pistons. He played in all 82 games and made 319 three-pointers, the most in Pistons’ history for a single season. Because of that, the team was planning to sign him again for three years and $42 million.

But now, because of this investigation, the Pistons have paused all contract talks. They said they are aware of the situation but will wait for the NBA to comment officially.

The NBA also said they are working with federal officials to find out the full truth.

Has This Happened to Other NBA Players?

Yes. Beasley isn’t the only NBA player to be caught up in gambling issues lately.

• Terry Rozier (Miami Heat) was also investigated this year for strange betting patterns from 2023. He hasn’t been charged either.
• Jontay Porter who was a player of the Toronto Raptors was not so lucky. In the previous year, he was suspended forever by the NBA when they discovered that he was passing the undisclosed team data to gamblers and he was also placing bets in the games.

These stories show how serious gambling-related problems have become in sports especially now that betting is legal in many places.

Beasley’s Past Problems

This is not the first legal issue that Beasley has been in.

In 2020, he was playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves at that time, he got arrested and entered a guilty plea due to threatening a person with a firearm. He served his sentence of 120 days in prison after that season of NBA. He was also suspended in the league for 12 games.

Since this time he has shifted between a few teams such as the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Lakers, Bucks, Jazz and Pistons now. His good shooting skills have enabled him to remain in the league but his off the court offenses continue to be in the newspapers.

What Could Happen Next?

Investigations like this can take time. Right now, Beasley is not banned, not charged, and not suspended. But if it turns out that he was involved in gambling especially on NBA games he could face:

• Legal charges from the government
• A suspension from the NBA
• Even a possible lifetime ban like Jontay Porter got

Meanwhile we have to remain in suspense till the investigation is over.

Final Thoughts

This is a serious situation for Malik Beasley and the Pistons. Just when things were going great in his career, this investigation could change everything. While nothing has been proven yet, it’s clear that the NBA is paying close attention and so are fans.

As legal sports betting grows across the country, we may see more stories like this. The NBA and other leagues will need to work even harder to keep their games honest and fair.

Let’s see what happens next.