A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York indicted former NBA guard Malik Beasley on June 24 on charges that he intentionally altered his on-court performance to benefit bettors using insider information. The indictment names five co-defendants, including former NBA player Ed Davis and current player agent Paolo Zamorano, and alleges the scheme ran from December 2023 through April 2024 while Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Charges
Prosecutors charged Beasley, Davis, Zamorano, and three other men with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, sports bribery, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the alleged conduct — exploiting inside NBA information for profit — erodes the integrity of American sports and victimizes the sports-watching public.
Four of the six defendants were arrested Monday morning and are set to be arraigned in Brooklyn at a later date. As of Monday, Beasley and Zamorano were not in custody. Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN's Shams Charania that the government is coordinating a voluntary surrender.
How the Scheme Allegedly Worked
The indictment's most detailed allegation centers on a January 26, 2024, game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prosecutors say Beasley told Davis ahead of the game that he planned to underperform on rebounds. Co-conspirators then placed thousands of dollars in wagers on the "under rebounds" prop bet for Beasley. He finished with three rebounds — one fewer than the betting line.
The indictment also references two additional games: a February 27 contest against the Charlotte Hornets and a March 10 game against the Los Angeles Clippers. In both instances, prosecutors allege Beasley provided co-conspirators with advance information about his intended performance in points and rebounds before the games were played.
Where the Players Stand
Beasley, 29, last appeared in the NBA during the 2024-25 season with the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 16.3 points per game. He has not played in the league since his name surfaced in gambling investigations last year. Davis, whose playing career spanned 12 seasons across eight franchises, last appeared in an NBA game in 2022.
The case marks a rare instance of a sitting professional athlete facing federal criminal charges tied directly to the manipulation of his own statistical output — a category of alleged misconduct that prosecutors and league officials have long identified as a structural threat to the legitimacy of legalized sports wagering.