One of the biggest stories of this offseason has unfortunately been the Malik Beasley saga. Just before free agency began, a report came out that he is being investigated by the US District Attorney’s office in relation to irregular gambling in the 2023-24 season. This news has potentially huge ramifications not only for Malik Beasley and the Pistons but for the NBA as a whole.
Immediately after the report came out, Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney issued a statement that “an investigation is not a charge”. This quote was to reinforce his client’s presumption of innocence until proven guilty, a principle which has not been followed by fans on social media. Many have latched onto examples of Beasley’s play with the Bucks and his financial struggles to presume his guilt without giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Malik Beasley changes the Pistons’ offseason
The timing really could not have been worse for Beasley and the Pistons, as they were likely to ink a new contract just days later if this report had not come out. Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat faced a similar situation in the second half of last season but was allowed to continue playing because he was not actually charged with a crime or wrongdoing, and was finally cleared in recent weeks. Of course Rozier had the benefit of being under contract when the investigation occurred, which Beasley does not have.
According to an ESPN report, one instance of sports gambling which sparked this investigation came when there was an unusual amount of betting on Beasley’s rebounding prop bet prior to a January 31 game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Milwaukee Bucks (who Beasley played for at the time). There was a huge and unexpected surge in betting on Beasley to grab less than 2.5 rebounds, which ended up not paying off for those bettors. In fact, Beasley finished the game with 6 rebounds and the surprise bettors lost that gamble.
So far, the only reported specifics relating to gambling odds have shown unusual behavior on the part of bettors. There has not been actual evidence reported of Beasley having strange behavior in these games, as we saw with Jontay Porter (now banned from the league after pleading guilty to a gambling conspiracy) leaving a game early with “injury” after bettors significantly gambled on his unders.
From where I stand, I believe fans should give Beasley more grace and hope for his innocence rather than presuming his guilt before the investigation is complete. The legalization and spread of sports gambling has created an environment that allows players the option to literally sell their integrity and fans have cast their doubt on player performances as a result. Beasley might be the most recent casualty of this, but he probably won’t be the last. The NBA might have to take extra steps to protect their reputation as a fair league and their players from unfair speculation.