Might 1, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (5) fires up the gang within the first half towards the New York Knicks throughout recreation six of first spherical for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Area. Necessary Credit score: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Photos Malik Beasley may need gotten screwed out of tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} due to false playing allegations.
In late June, the ex-Detroit Pistons guard was the topic of a federal playing investigation. ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the information proper earlier than free company, inflicting clips on social media to go viral displaying Beasley giving lackadaisical effort on sure performs and further effort on the finish of video games the place the unfold was proper on the quantity.
There’s little question it appeared suspicious to the bare eye. However because it seems, the federal government discovered nothing to again up the allegations.
On Jan. 31, uncommon betting exercise poured in on Beasley to report below 2.5 rebounds in Detroit’s matchup towards the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a wierd wager to see heavy motion on, however Beasley completed the sport with six rebounds. Everyone who hammered that wager misplaced. So the crimson flags that had been raised appeared unwarranted.
This data was not initially reported. The feds had been investigating a scenario surrounding a participant prop the place Beasley hit the over — the alternative of what you’d do for those who had been betting on your self to govern an final result.
The issue is, Beasley is contemporary off the very best season of his profession. He performed all 82 video games for the Pistons on a one-year prove-it deal, averaging 16 factors per recreation and serving to Detroit win its first NBA playoff recreation since 2008.
However this report going public hours earlier than free company induced the Pistons to tug a three-year, $42 million extension. Detroit used that cash on Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson and Javonte Inexperienced.
Different suitors, such because the New York Knicks, have emerged now that Beasley has been cleared. Nonetheless, it appears unlikely his contract will match the cash he was set to make earlier than the allegations surfaced. The Brooklyn Nets are the one crew within the NBA with sufficient cap house to match that preliminary supply, however they might not even pursue him as they’re in the midst of a rebuild.
“An allegation with no cost, indictment or conviction ought to by no means have the catastrophic consequence this has induced Malik,” Beasley’s lawyer Steve Haney mentioned. “This has actually been the alternative of the presumption of innocence.”
It’s laborious to disagree. Beasley was hours away from signing a contract that might have assured him generational wealth. As an alternative, a narrative with no element went public, inflicting groups to understandably again away from a participant with critical allegations hanging over him.
Now that he’s been cleared of wrongdoing, these preliminary provides are gone — and Beasley is left holding the bag. Besides it’s empty.
