According to reports from NBC, former National Basketball Association players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis were indicted in the newest phase of the federal government’s sprawling investigation into gambling in the league on Monday (June 29).
In the unsealed indictment, prosecutors from the United States District Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York claim that Beasley reached an agreement with Davis while he was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024 to manipulate his performance so Davis and other co-conspirators could place fraudulent wagers on games he was in.
Davis, referred to as the “gatekeeper,” became friends with Davis when the two were teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2020-2021 season. Davis, who last played in the league in 2022, would loan Beasley millions to cover his numerous gambling debts.
The bets totalled thousands of dollars, according to prosecutors, with some amounting to $75,000 that led to payouts of $121,000. Key games that Beasley engaged in deliberate manipulation included a Jan. 26, 2024, Bucks-Cleveland Cavaliers game and games in March 2024 against the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
The scheme apparently fell apart in the game against the Nets, after Beasley went over on his rebounding prop – he was supposed to go under. Davis was then instructed by the other co-defendants in the indictment to pay up on the lost bets or have Beasley fix more games, but Davis balked after another NBA player, Jontay Porter, was indicted for gambling.
Beasley has been out of the league since his name was first mentioned in the initial stages of the probe, costing him a 3-year, $45 million contract with the Detroit Pistons. He and Davis are the fifth and sixth former and current NBA players named in the investigation involving members of four Mafia families.
Damon Jones, a former player with the Miami Heat and assistant coach, pled guilty in April to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He stated that he used “insider information” to get the edge in sports bets. He was indicted along with former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
