Malik Beasley to plead guilty

Malik Beasley, who has nine years of NBA experience, has decided to plead guilty after formal talks with the U.S. Department of Justice. He has therefore dropped plans to mount a defense in court against the charges. According to The Athletic, the 29-year-old shooting guard moved the process into negotiations after the charges were filed this summer.

On June 29, prosecutors unveiled a broad indictment against six people. The charges include sports bribery, wire fraud and a conspiracy to launder money. Prosecutors say the case began with a multimillion-dollar gambling debt Beasley owed to his former teammate Ed Davis. The player is alleged to have agreed to knowingly lower his performance with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 season. The other defendants are alleged to have used this information to place bets at various sportsbooks that Beasley would finish below certain statistical thresholds.

Investigators identified manipulation attempts in four games in early 2024. However, the player is reported to have exceeded his set rebound threshold in a game against the Brooklyn Nets, and the plan failed at that point. The prosecutor told Beasley that he was considering changing the statements of three of the other defendants. His defense lawyer then first chose to wait, and formal talks have now begun.

The investigation ended Beasley's NBA career. Since his last NBA game, he has played only briefly for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico. The case has also restarted a broad debate about bets on the individual performances of players in North America's major leagues.