The Malik Beasley saga that has defined the Detroit Pistons' offseason continues. Just when it increasingly seemed like the former Pistons shooting guard was in the clear and was getting ready to make his NBA comeback, there is a new twist in the story. ESPN's David Purdum reported on Wednesday that the league was conducting its own investigation into gambling allegations against Beasley. Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly confirmed this news despite the recent news that Beasley was no longer "a target" of the federal probe.
According to the reporting, Beasley is "fully cooperating" with the NBA investigation, but Silver declined to comment on whether the veteran sharpshooter has any limitations on his availability to play in the 2025-26 season.
While the federal investigation and the league's investigation are taking place simultaneously, they are not necessarily tied to one another. The NBA holds the right to take action against a player regardless of the outcome of the legal case. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is currently in charge of the investigation, with allegations of "improper gambling on NBA games and prop bets" during Beasley's time with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023-24 season.
NBA Investigation into Malik Beasley Is Still Ongoing
This is a rather surprising development, considering how confident Beasley has been in recent weeks about his looming return to the NBA. In fact, earlier this week, he teased that he would be announcing his new team decision "soon.
Since Beasley was on the verge of signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Pistons over the summer, Detroit remains the favorite to sign him. Both sides need each other as Beasley arguably had the best season of his career last season, and the Pistons desperately need more shooting.
At the same time, the Pistons don't have the cap space they had earlier in the offseason after spending it on Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson. Especially after all the drama surrounding Beasley, he will not get anywhere near the salary he was about to get. He is likely choosing among veteran's minimum deals or offers around the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is $5.6 million for next season.
The Pistons and Beasley would love to leave this saga behind them. With the NBA season only six weeks away, we will likely get a resolution relatively soon.