Free agent Malik Beasley has signed a deal to play in Puerto Rico for Grammy Award-winning artist Bad Bunny’s professional basketball team, Santurce Crabbers, both parties told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday.
The team’s season in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league begins in March. Beasley has been under investigation for improper gambling allegations in the NBA since last year.
This gives Beasley the opportunity to showcase his skills ahead of 2026 free agency as he awaits a ruling on the NBA investigation.
The investigation stems from allegations of improper gambling on NBA games and prop bets from the 2023-24 season when Beasley was with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources told ESPN.
ESPN reported on June 29 that Beasley, 28, was under federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. That resulted in all of his free agent negotiations and offers being halted one day before the official start of free agency. At the time, the NBA said it was cooperating with that investigation.
Two months later, Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN that Beasley was not a target and had not been charged in the federal investigation, which has resulted in four guilty pleas related to a gambling scheme involving former NBA player Jontay Porter.
At least one U.S. sportsbook detected unusual betting interest on Beasley’s statistics beginning around January 2024, according to a gambling industry source.
The source pointed to a game between the Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 31, 2024. The odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds moved significantly before the game, shortening from around +120 to -250 due to a surge of action on the under. Beasley finished with six rebounds, and the bets deemed unusual lost.
Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game and shot 41.6% from 3-point range for the Detroit Pistons last season. He made 319 3-pointers, the most in a season in Pistons franchise history.
