Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis have been indicted as part of an ongoing government investigation into illegal gambling schemes. Authorities announced the charges Monday, alleging that Beasley, while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024, agreed to manipulate his game performance based on betting trends.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. stated that such schemes, involving former and current NBA players and agents exploiting insider information for profit, damage the integrity of sports and deceive the public. The scheme reportedly involved hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Beasley's attorney was not immediately available for comment, and the identity of Davis' lawyer was unknown. The indictment, unsealed in Brooklyn, names six individuals. According to the indictment, Davis, who last played in the NBA in 2022, was among those who placed bets on Beasley's performance.
This case follows a broader gambling sweep that has led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including alleged mobsters and other basketball figures. In April, former NBA player Damon Jones became the first to plead guilty in the investigation. Jones admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his involvement in schemes to defraud sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel and to steal millions from poker players, using insider NBA information to gain an advantage in sports betting.
Beasley last played in the NBA during the 2024-25 season for the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 16 points per game. He is noted for being one of five NBA players to record over 300 three-pointers in a single season, achieving 319 in 2024-25. His NBA career has been on hold since his involvement in the betting investigations, though he played briefly for a team in Puerto Rico earlier this year.
Davis, a journeyman center, played 12 seasons in the NBA for eight different franchises, earning approximately $48 million. He averaged 5.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and last appeared in the league in 2022. Beasley and Davis were briefly teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2020-21 season.