Indicted: NBA Players Caught in Massive Betting Scheme
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn unsealed an indictment this week that accuses former NBA forward Malik Beasley and veteran big man Ed Davis of conspiring to manipulate on‑court performance for the profit of a clandestine sports‑betting ring. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. warned that the case marks a stark erosion of American sports integrity.
According to the charging documents, Beasley allegedly adjusted his shooting and playing time to align with the odds offered by major online sportsbooks, a tactic that investigators say turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation. The scheme, prosecutors say, involved hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit wagers.
A Scheme That Turned the Court Into a Betting Table
The indictment also names Damon Jones, who used insider connections to gain an edge on prop bets, and former teammate Chauncey Billups, who has been charged in a separate but related conspiracy tied to organized‑crime families. Billups has pleaded not guilty.
Terry Rozier, arrested in Miami last year, is alleged to have coordinated with friends to influence the outcomes of bets on his own performance, though he has entered a not‑guilty plea.
The case expands beyond the six named defendants, with law enforcement officials reporting more than 30 arrests, including figures linked to La Cosa Nostra and other organized‑crime networks.
The investigation shines a light on the growing intersection of legal sports‑betting platforms such as DraftKings and FanDuel and the darker side of athlete‑driven gambling, raising questions about how the NBA will enforce integrity safeguards moving forward.
While the league has yet to comment publicly, the indictment underscores the urgency of tightening monitoring of player prop markets and protecting the sport’s credibility.