Malik Beasley’s NBA future remains in limbo as he continues to be investigated in connection with suspicious prop bets that were placed during the 2023-24 season. The controversy has tarnished his reputation and taken its toll on his personal life. Still, the nine-year veteran is doing his best to keep in good spirits and focus on mastering his craft.
Beasley was first reported to be under federal investigation for illegal gambling allegations in June, just ahead of free agency, with the NBA conducting a separate probe. Rather than cash in on the three-year, $42 million contract that the Detroit Pistons were expected to offer him, the sharpshooter went unsigned throughout the offseason.
According to investigative journalist Pablo Torre’s Oct. 23 intel, while the NBA “didn’t find anything,” it has since “deferred” to the FBI’s ongoing sprawling investigations, which have already resulted in multiple high-profile arrests.
How Is Malik Beasley Coping With the Fallout of His Gambling Allegations?
On Tuesday, Beasley took to Instagram to shed light on the depth of his personal struggles over the past few months as he’s navigated life under an intense spotlight. Among the setbacks he mentioned were his lost income from being passed over in free agency, the termination of his sneaker deal with the Chinese sportswear company Xtep, and his public divorce from his wife, Montana Yao.
“I truly want to just hoop.. no training camp to build chemistry off of the season we just had, 42 mil gone, jersey # gone, defamation, a divorce, lost my shoe deal, and at that I can’t even explain anything yet..,” Beasley began.
The 28-year-old then previewed the challenges that could be in store if he is fully cleared by the FBI and lands another NBA gig. “Oh and don’t let me sign and have one bad game the rest of my career..lord knows the threats I might receive there,” Beasley anticipated.
Even so, Beasley believes the experience will push him to the next level.
“Anyways.. if all sounds like a bunch of excuses. By all means ITS NOT. I can’t sit here and cry about it. Sh*t it only made me stronger. So All love. My head is up, when the time comes I’ll be ready.. I’ll be thankful and extremely happy , because at the end of the day all a ni$$a wana do is ‘JUST HOOP,’” Beasley concluded before promoting his apparel brand.
If given another NBA opportunity, Beasley should be able to contribute right away after his standout 2024-25 campaign as a 3-point specialist with Detroit. Across 82 outings, he averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 3.9 3-pointers per game, shooting 43.0%, including 41.6% from deep.
Beasley placed second in the NBA in total triples (319), becoming just the fifth player ever to reach 300 3-pointers in a single season. His lights-out shooting earned him a runner-up finish in the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting.