Former NBA player Malik Beasley is charged with rigging four games to pay off a gambling debt. Beasley was indicted on Monday, June 29, by federal prosecutors in New York.
According to the federal indictment, Beasley, 29, rigged an NBA game to ensure his gambling conspirators won $5,000. Beasley allegedly owed millions in gambling debt.
Prosecutors submitted text messages to the court that show Beasley and other defendants discussing rigging games. Video shows Beasley hustling down the court in the final seconds of a Minnesota Timberwolves vs LA Clippers game to beat the point spread.
Malik Beasley BEEN GAMBLING lmaooo.
Here he is going coast-to-coast with 5 seconds left like his life depended on it just to cut the lead from 9 to 7.
The spread was +8.5 ? https://t.co/iQzvaSnyFp pic.twitter.com/nTRzrdUDiF
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) June 29, 2026
In another game against the Indiana Pacers, Beasley pretended to defend a Pacers player. During another game, Beasley pushed his teammates out of the way to grab a 4th rebound to cover his prop bet.
In a group text message, a defendant praised Beasley for hustling to grab the rebound. They won thousands of dollars in a prop bet off that play alone.
“Fam we were 1.1 secs away from being down thousands lol,” the defendant wrote.
Malik Beasley with 5 seconds left CRASHED THE BOARDS to get the over for his rebounds prop ??? pic.twitter.com/XYaqzAEE9O
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) June 29, 2026
Malik Beasley 100% going to jail ??? pic.twitter.com/GvS0nOed38
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) June 29, 2025
The indictment identifies four games during the 2023-24 season where Beasley allegedly agreed to rig games. Beasley allegedly owed millions of dollars in gambling losses. At the time, he owed money to NBA veteran Ed Davis, a retired forward who played with Beasley on the Timberwolves during the 2020-21 season.
Davis is accused of reducing Beasley’s gambling debt in return for fixing his games. Davis was indicted along with Beasley. Prosecutors said Beasley rigged games that were not televised nationally and were not “marquee games.”
Jimmy Butler's close friend, Ernesto Plascencia, has been arrested as part of the Malik Beasley gambling case, where he allegedly acted as a middleman between players and others who placed bets ? pic.twitter.com/mNN2mkP3jK
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) June 30, 2026
Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, said they would “vigorously defend the charges.”
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” said NBA spokesman Mike Bass.
Beasley’s indictment is further proof that the NBA has a serious gambling problem.
In 2021, Beasley was accused of cheating on his then-wife, Montana Yao, with NBA legend Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife, Larsa Pippen.
Beasley and Larsa dated from 2020 until 2021. Montana Yao filed for divorce on March 4, 2025, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
“I have made a lot of decisions out of love, hope, fear and insecurity,” Yao said in August 2025. “I stayed when I should’ve left, I protected people who hurt me and I made excuses for red flags. But, I’m not ashamed to admit that anymore, I own it. I forgive myself. And I hope that my story can help each woman realize her worth sooner than I did.”