Malik Beasley pleads not guilty in federal NBA betting case

Malik Beasley pleaded not guilty Wednesday to four federal charges that allege he conspired with gamblers to rig player prop bets in four games during the 2023–24 NBA season. He was released on a $100,000 bond and must return to federal court in Brooklyn on Aug. 6.

The indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York accuses Beasley, who was with the Milwaukee Bucks at the time of the alleged conduct, of sports bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest-services fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy counts each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years; the bribery count carries up to five years.

Federal prosecutors identified former NBA forward Ed Davis as a co-defendant and say he acted as a “gatekeeper” who connected Beasley with gamblers and received loans to cover millions of dollars in gambling debts accumulated over a nine-year career. Paolo Zamorano, a registered National Basketball Players Association agent, was arraigned alongside Beasley, pleaded not guilty and was released on a $100,000 bond. Zamorano is scheduled to appear again on Aug. 6.

Court filings made after the indictments were unsealed named former player and coach Damon Jones as a co-conspirator. Jones has pleaded not guilty in filings that allege he used inside information for betting. The filings also note a related case involving former player Terry Rozier, who faces separate sports corruption charges and is scheduled for trial in February.

Prosecutors say the group placed hundreds of thousands of dollars in bets tied to the four-game scheme, including a single wager that netted $121,000. Charging documents contain lengthy text-message exchanges among co-conspirators identified as Paolo Zamorano, Rob Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia and William Brown that show concern about whether wagers would cash. One message cited a March 10, 2024 play in which Beasley grabbed a rebound with 1.1 seconds left against the Los Angeles Clippers that produced a winning prop bet.

The papers refer to an unindicted co-conspirator described as a current Division II men’s basketball assistant coach. Prosecutors say the operation began to collapse after members grew mistrustful about payouts and how winners were determined.

In a release, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. wrote that the allegations involve “bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.” Six individuals are charged in the broader case. All defendants have pleaded not guilty and are expected to return to federal court for further proceedings.