Malik Beasley is reportedly no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation that prevented the free agent guard from signing with a team this summer, and the Knicks have done some background work on the bench scorer.
The Knicks are among the teams that have done background work on Beasley’s situation and the likelihood of a suspension during the 2025-26 NBA season, SNY’s NBA Insider Ian Begley reported.
Attorneys representing Beasley held extensive conversations with the Eastern District of New York and have been informed their client is not being considered a target for the investigation, which centers around a gambling ring on NBA games and prop bets from the 2023-24 season, the attorneys told ESPN.
The nine-year NBA veteran was never charged during the course of the investigation.
The Knicks have already added veteran guard Jordan Clarkson to provide some bench help this offseason, looking to bolster a unit that constantly left much to be desired under previous head coach Tom Thibodeau.
New York can offer the 28-year-old Beasley the veteran’s minimum. Of course, it is expected that Beasley will garner strong interest from teams that can offer more than the Knicks.
Before the investigation was known, the Pistons, who Beasley played for last season, were prepared to offer him a three-year, $42 million deal to re-sign. The NBA informed several clubs before free agency began of the investigation involving Beasley, and Detroit pivoted to other players.
In 82 games (18 starts) last year with the Pistons, Beasley averaged 16.3 points on 43 percent shooting (41.6 percent from three) with 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 27.8 minutes. He averaged 14 points on 37.3 percent shooting (33.9 from three) in the six-game first-round playoff series against the Knicks. The guard finished a distant second place for NBA Sixth Man of the Year, behind Boston's Payton Pritchard.
After being drafted by Denver with the 19th overall pick in 2016, Beasley has bounced around the NBA with stints in Minnesota, Utah, Los Angeles (Lakers), Milwaukee, and Detroit.
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