The Pistons have tabled contract talks with Malik Beasley after it was revealed Sunday that Beasley is being investigated by federal authorities on allegations of gambling on NBA games and prop bets.
The allegations, per ESPN, stem from the 2023-24 season when Beasley was a member of the Bucks before he signed a one-year deal with the Pistons last offseason. A prominent sportsbook is said to have noticed unusually heavy betting on Beasley's statistics that started in January 2024.
Before a game between the Bucks and the Trail Blazers on Jan. 31 of that year, the odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds moved from about +120 to -250 due to a flurry of bets on the under, per ESPN. Beasley finished with six rebounds, as bettors rushing to bet the under lost.
The Pistons were in talks with Beasley, who's set to be a free agent, on a reported three-year, $42 million deal after he led the East in three-pointers last season. Both sides have expressed strong interest in running it back. The Pistons have halted talks as the investigation unfolds.
"An investigation is not a charge," said Beasley's attorney, via ESPN. "Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything."
The Pistons deferred comment to the NBA, which said in a statement that is is the "cooperating with the federal prosecutors' investigation."