Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis have been charged in the latest stage of a federal investigation into illegal sports betting, U.S. authorities announced on Monday.
Prosecutors said that while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024, Beasley agreed to change parts of his performance to match betting patterns. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said Beasley and others turned professional basketball into an illegal betting operation that damaged the integrity of the sport.
Beasley’s lawyer did not immediately comment. It was not clear who is representing Davis.
According to prosecutors, the betting scheme involved hundreds of thousands of dollars. Six people were charged in the case. Investigators said Davis, who last played in the NBA in 2022, was among those who placed bets on Beasley’s performances.
The investigation has already led to several arrests. In April, former NBA player Damon Jones became the first person to plead guilty. He admitted taking part in a scheme that used insider information to cheat major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and to defraud poker players of millions of dollars.
Beasley last played for the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-25 season, averaging 16 points per game. He made 319 three-pointers that season, becoming one of only five NBA players to make more than 300 three-pointers in a single season. He has not returned to the NBA since becoming involved in the betting investigation and briefly played for a team in Puerto Rico earlier this year.
Davis played 12 seasons in the NBA, mostly as a backup player, and earned about $48 million during his career. He was briefly Beasley’s teammate with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2020-21 season.
The wider gambling investigation also includes Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups. Prosecutors accuse him of taking part in a conspiracy linked to organized crime that allegedly fixed high-stakes card games and cheated gamblers out of at least $7 million. Billups has pleaded not guilty.
Another player connected to the investigation is Terry Rozier. Prosecutors say he worked with friends to help them win bets based on his performance during a 2023 game while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier has also pleaded not guilty.