Malik Beasley is not having a good summer.
This offseason should have been a big pay day for Beasley—instead, the NBA free agent is facing a federal investigation over sports betting allegations and is being maligned by his former agency, which seeks more than $2.25 million in a breach of contract suit and says he may not have the money to settle.
Beasley, 28, is coming off one of his best seasons, having averaged more than 16 points per game while shooting nearly 42% from deep for the Pistons. Under normal circumstances, especially in today’s NBA, Beasley would command a substantial contract. He was reportedly in line to receive a three-year deal worth $42 million from Detroit before news broke Sunday that he is under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for allegedly betting on games during the 2023–24 season.
Those contract talks are reportedly on pause following the revelation of the investigation, but a federal probe isn’t the only cloud hanging over Beasley’s head. Hazan Sports Management Group—his former agency for both on-court and off-court representation—sued Beasley in April alleging he breached a marketing contract with the firm. Hazan says it helped Beasley sign with Detroit, where he earned $6 million last season, and provided him with a $650,000 “cash advance against future marketing revenue from his name, image, and likeness.”
Before long, however, Beasley “began courting other agents” to represent him on and off the court, “in clear violation of the exclusivity provisions of the marketing agreement,” the suit says. Hazan represented Beasley until he “abruptly” terminated the agency in February, just 15 months into their relationship.
The firm says it has tried to collect the $650,000, but “received little more than drips and drabs of sporadic payments and vague promises to repay the balance over time,” leading to the April suit.
On June 11, an attorney for Hazan informed the court that the two sides have been in talks to settle the dispute, but noted any deal “is predicated upon the defendant’s financial liquidity which is directly related to the commencement of the [NBA] free agency period,” which begins July 6. The federal probe puts in question whether he will be signed.
On June 13, the judge in the case gave the parties until July 11 to issue a status update.
The lawsuit was first reported by ESPN.
Other Hazan clients include Tre Mann, who played for the Hornets last season and Trevelin Queen, who played for the Magic last season. Both are currently free agents.
Representatives for Beasley and Hazan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
