Malik Beasley entered a not-guilty plea in Brooklyn federal court, saying through his lawyer that he wants to “move on with his life” amid allegations that he altered his play in 2024 to enrich sports bettors and reduce debts tied to former NBA player Ed Davis
Malik Beasley walked through the Brooklyn federal courthouse on Wednesday with little to say for himself. answering the judge’s questions with a plain “yes. your honor.” His lawyer. Jason Goldman. did most of the speaking as the indicted former NBA star pleaded not guilty to federal charges that claim his performance on the court was manipulated to benefit sports bettors.
Outside the courtroom, Beasley stood quietly while Goldman addressed reporters. Beasley “wants to move on with his life,” Goldman said, later adding, “He’s presumed innocent and that has to mean something still, obviously.”
The case is part of a sweeping federal gambling investigation that has already produced more than three dozen arrests. including former Miami Heat star Terry Rozier and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups. Beasley. 29. is among the newest defendants as prosecutors describe an alleged scheme that reached beyond the arena and into the mechanics of sports wagering.
Zamorano, also indicted, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday
Along with Beasley, sports agent Paolo Zamorano, 39, also pleaded not guilty. After the hearing, Zamorano’s lawyer, Kenneth Breen, told reporters, “We look forward to our day in court.”
Beasley’s bond was secured, and both he and Zamorano were released. They are scheduled to return to court for a status conference on Aug. 6.
Prosecutors say the alleged fixing connected to debts—and to bettors’ profit
Beasley is accused of fixing. or trying to fix. his performance in at least four games during the 2024 season while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks by underperforming or overperforming against bookmakers’ expectations. The indictment says that in exchange. sports bettors bribed Beasley and that debts owed to Ed Davis—an ex-NBA player and former teammate—were reduced or eliminated.
Davis is described in the indictment as a “gatekeeper” in the alleged scheme. Zamorano, prosecutors say, formerly represented Davis, another defendant in the broader investigation.
The indictment includes a message from Davis to Beasley dated Jan. 26, 2024: “Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting,” and “Everything else they got the edge.”
One example in the indictment centers on a March 10, 2024 game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Beasley allegedly told Davis he would try to outperform the 3.5 line set for his rebound total. With a second left and the Bucks up by seven points. he challenged a Clippers shot and dashed past four players to grab his fourth rebound. securing a win for bettors as the horn sounded.
The indictment describes how some bettors profited. One bettor made a $3,252 profit on a $2,838 wager. Another made a $2,107 profit on wagers totaling $2,400. The indictment also says other bettors lost money after mistakenly placing wagers on Beasley to underperform the rebound total. pointing to what it describes as apparent miscommunication.
A co-conspirator text cited in the indictment captures the moment after the play, saying, “What’s funny is after he got it he had a big sigh of relief.”
Beasley’s lawyer points to a wider debate beyond this defendant
Goldman used the hearing to steer attention toward the gambling ecosystem. He said, “There’s a bigger conversation here about the industry, about individuals and institutions that are profiting billions and billions of dollars and fueling the addiction.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Weintraub said Beasley has been aware of the investigation for about a year.
Beasley has been dogged by financial trouble during his time out of the NBA. He missed the most recent season because he was under investigation. and the indictment describes his debts and gambling losses as part of the backdrop prosecutors are using to explain alleged motivation. Goldman’s remarks echoed the same theme—just framed as a question of who profits and how widely the harm spreads.
Courtroom scene with family and basketball ties
Beasley played for six NBA teams in nine years. His last NBA game came for the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-2025 season, where he had a one-year, $6 million contract. He averaged 16 points per game and scored 20 in his last game—a playoff loss to the New York Knicks.
He is also described as one of five players in NBA history with more than 300 three-pointers in a season. And while the NBA part of his career paused during the investigation, he continued playing elsewhere: he spent time with a Puerto Rican team co-owned by the rapper Bad Bunny.
At the arraignment, Beasley’s release was secured by his parents, actors Michael and Deena Beasley, who joined by phone from their home in Georgia. During the hourlong proceeding, Beasley laughed at his mother’s response to Magistrate Judge Taryn Merkl’s question about how often they talk.
Deena Beasley said, “I probably call him every day. He might not answer every day,” then added, “If I call him six times a week, he’ll answer five times.” The courtroom chuckled.
For now, all that is scheduled is the next step in the process: the Aug. 6 status conference, after Beasley and Zamorano each entered not-guilty pleas.
The allegations. if proven. would place a well-known athlete at the center of a federal case that prosecutors say turns the volatility of live performance into a tool for betting markets. But at Wednesday’s hearing. Beasley offered no argument on the merits—only a quiet insistence. through his plea. that the government will have to prove what it claims.
Malik Beasley not guilty plea gambling investigation Brooklyn federal court sports betting Milwaukee Bucks Paolo Zamorano Ed Davis Terry Rozier Chauncey Billups