Malik Beasley and his offseason has taken a sharp turn, and it’s not just because of the ongoing federal gambling investigation.
The free agent guard is now being sued for $2.25 million by Hazan Sports Management Group for breach of contract and unpaid debt.
According to Michigan Live and ESPN, the lawsuit claims Beasley has failed to repay a $650,000 advance, with the agency citing “little more than drips and drabs of sporadic payments and vague promises to repay the balance over time.”
The suit, filed back in April but now resurfacing amid the federal probe, also accuses Beasley of violating exclusivity terms by hiring a separate marketing agent just 15 months after signing with Hazan Sports in November 2023.
In the lawsuit, Hazan Sports wrote, “(We) elected to take a chance and make a substantial investment of time, effort, and resources in a player with known issues (including and especially financial issues).”
All of this is happening while Beasley is under federal investigation regarding suspicious betting activity. ESPN reported that “at least one prominent US sportsbook noticed unusual betting patterns on Malik Beasley prop bets beginning in January 2024.”
Beasley played last season on a one-year, $6 million deal with the Pistons and was reportedly negotiating a three-year, $42 million extension prior to the probe going public. According to ESPN, those talks are now on hold.
Hazan Sports’ attorney recently requested an extension to work toward a settlement “which is directly related to the commencement of the National Basketball Association’s (‘NBA’) free agency period,” according to ESPN.
Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney emphasized his client has not been charged with a crime. “An investigation is not a charge,” Haney told ESPN. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. constitution. As of now, he has not been charged with anything.”
The NBA issued a brief statement as the investigation continues: “We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation,” league spokesperson Mike Bass said.
Beasley has yet to publicly address either the lawsuit or the gambling allegations.
READ MORE: Malik Beasley Under Federal Investigation Linked to NBA Gambling