Former NBA player Malik Beasley in talks to plead guilty

Former NBA player Malik Beasley is negotiating a possible guilty plea with federal prosecutors in a bribery and sports betting case. He is accused of manipulating his performance to benefit bettors. His lawyer, Steve Haney, confirmed that talks with Justice Department attorneys are ongoing, but said Beasley has not yet signed an agreement.

According to court records, the 29-year-old player wants to change his plea, and a decision on this is expected in the coming days. In June, Beasley had pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging bribery, wire fraud, honest services fraud and money laundering.

Prosecutors allege that Beasley deliberately altered his statistics while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023-24 season. The aim was to allow people close to him to profit from bets tied to his individual performance. Reports differ on the number of games manipulated. Some sources cite at least four, while others mention three.

ESPN reported that prosecutors also claim Beasley lost millions of dollars gambling before he became involved in the scheme. Co-defendants Ernesto Plascencia and William Brown have pleaded guilty or plan to. Robert Gorodetsky is expected to plead guilty on November 20. Former player Ed Davis and Davis's manager Paolo Zamorano have pleaded not guilty.

Beasley played nine NBA seasons after Denver selected him in the first round of the 2016 draft. He averaged 11.7 points per game over 578 games. He is reported to have earned about 60 million dollars during his career.