What We Know About Malik Beasley's NBA Gambling Plea Deal

Former NBA guard Malik Beasley is negotiating a plea agreement with Department of Justice lawyers over his alleged role in a scheme to rig his own in-game statistics so bettors could win wagers on his performance, one of his attorneys confirmed to ESPN.

An overnight entry on the federal court docket indicated Beasley intends to plead guilty in the case, according to ESPN's reporting. Attorney Steve Haney told the outlet in a text message that Beasley has not yet signed a deal with prosecutors and that talks are ongoing, with a decision expected early this week. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York did not immediately respond to ESPN's follow-up questions.

What is Malik Beasley accused of doing?

Federal prosecutors allege Beasley deliberately manipulated his statistics in at least four games during the 2023-24 season, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, so that gamblers could place and win bets tied to his performance, according to the indictment cited by ESPN. The indictment states that Beasley's co-defendants selected games that would not be nationally televised, and that Beasley decided whether to underperform or overperform specific scoring and rebounding marks in those games.

ESPN reports that Beasley, 29, earned tens of millions of dollars over a nine-year NBA career that spanned six teams, but also accumulated what the indictment describes as "multimillion-dollar gambling losses" around the time he allegedly became involved in the scheme.

What charges does Beasley face?

Beasley faces federal counts of bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, per ESPN's account of the indictment. He initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges when the case was first filed.

By the numbers

• 4: minimum number of games prosecutors allege Beasley manipulated during the 2023-24 season, according to the indictment.
• 9: years Beasley played in the NBA, across six franchises, per ESPN.

What has Beasley's attorney said about the plea talks?

Attorney Steve Haney's text message to ESPN is the only on-record statement from Beasley's camp so far. Haney said Beasley "has not signed a plea deal" but that negotiations with DOJ lawyers are active and that a resolution is anticipated early this week, ESPN reported Saturday. Haney did not detail what charges might be included in a potential agreement or what sentencing exposure Beasley could face under a deal.

Why would Beasley plead guilty now?

The docket activity ESPN reviewed points to momentum toward a plea rather than a trial. Late Friday, the judge overseeing the case asked a federal magistrate in Brooklyn to schedule a hearing for Beasley to change his plea, according to ESPN's reporting of the court filing. That request from the presiding judge — not simply a defense motion — typically signals that the parties have told the court a guilty plea is likely, though ESPN's sources did not specify the exact terms being discussed.

ESPN's report does not state whether Beasley would plead guilty to all four charges or a subset of them, and the Eastern District of New York had not confirmed details publicly as of ESPN's story.

What happens next in the case?

A federal magistrate judge in Brooklyn is expected to schedule the change-of-plea hearing in the near term, per the docket notice ESPN cited. Haney's statement that a decision is expected "early this week" suggests the plea question could be resolved before any hearing is formally held. ESPN noted it had not received a response from the Eastern District of New York's spokesperson on the broader status of negotiations.

What to watch

• Whether Beasley signs a formal plea agreement in the coming days, as his attorney indicated is possible early this week.
• Which specific charges — bribery, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services fraud conspiracy, or money laundering conspiracy — are addressed if a deal is reached.
• Scheduling of the change-of-plea hearing before the federal magistrate in Brooklyn.
• Any statement from the Eastern District of New York confirming or detailing the terms of a plea.
• How the NBA responds to the outcome, given Beasley's prior history in the league across six teams over nine seasons.

ESPN's report is the primary account of the negotiations as of Saturday, and no additional plea terms have been independently confirmed beyond what Haney described to the outlet.

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