Malik Beasley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Shamet, Mathews, PGs, Beasley, Jemison

September 12th, 2025 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

With 12 players on standard contracts, the Knicks only have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to carry one more player on a veteran’s minimum contract and one on a rookie minimum contract into the regular season. However, the team will have the ability to fill out its 21-man offseason roster because training camp deals that include Exhibit 9 language don’t count against the cap or the apron until the start of the regular season.

The Knicks agreed on Thursday to non-guaranteed deals with guards Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews, who are expected to compete for that 13th spot on the roster. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, Mathews considered at least one other offer before opting to sign with the Knicks and engage in a training camp battle with Shamet.

While Mathews will receive consideration for a regular season spot, Shamet should have the upper hand in that competition, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who notes that the 28-year-old wing earned “significant respect” within the organization last season for the way he recovered from a preseason shoulder injury and became a contributor in the second half and postseason. Shamet is also close with Knicks forward Mikal Bridges, who signed a four-year extension with the team last month, Bondy adds.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Despite being right up against their hard cap, the Knicks remain on the lookout for a backup point guard, Bondy writes, observing that Malcolm Brogdon is among the notable options still on the market. It’s unclear if the club will bring a point guard or two to camp to compete with Shamet and Mathews, or if the front office is looking for a way to open up enough room below the second apron to carry another veteran into the season.
While Malik Beasley is among the players that have been on the Knicks’ radar, his legal situation made the team hesitant to sign him, Begley reports. Beasley is being investigated by the NBA due to gambling-related concerns and remains a subject in a federal probe into the same issue.
The Knicks are considering players outside the organization for their open two-way contract slots, according to Begley, who identifies free agent big man Trey Jemison as one of the players who has drawn interest from the club.
It appears as if Mike Brown‘s coaching staff for his first season in New York is set. Bondy indicates that Chris Jent, Brendan O’Connor, and Rick Brunson will Brown’s assistants on the front bench, while Darren Erman will move to the back bench.

Adam Silver: Burden Of Proof Is On League In Clippers Investigation

September 10th, 2025 at 6:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Commissioner Adam Silver said investigators will carry the burden of proof in the NBA’s probe of potential salary cap circumvention by the Clippers, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at his annual preseason news conference following the conclusion of the Board of Governors meeting, Silver said the league needs to focus on “the totality of the evidence” rather than the “mere appearance” of impropriety.

“The burden is on the league if we’re going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver told reporters. “I think as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”

The NBA hired a law firm this week to handle the investigation of whether owner Steve Ballmer and the team violated league rules through Kawhi Leonard‘s $28MM “no-show” job with Aspiration. Ballmer was an investor in the green banking company, which has since gone bankrupt.

Sources told Bontemps that Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz plans to conduct a thorough investigation, and no firm deadline has been set to reach a conclusion.

Silver added that he’s “a big believer in due process and fairness,” and said other NBA owners feel the same way about the case.

“At least what’s being said to me is a reservation of judgment,” Silver said. “I think people recognize that that’s what you have a league office for. That’s what you have a commissioner for — someone who is independent of the teams. On one hand, of course, I work collectively for the 30 governors, but I have an independent obligation to be the steward of the brand and the integrity of this league. … To the extent we have had discussions (with the board of governors) — they’ve been limited — we communicated to them that we engaged Wachtell to do this investigation. And maybe I cut off any further conversations and said, ‘Let’s all withhold judgment, let’s do this investigation and then we will come back to you in terms of our findings.'”

Silver addressed a few other topics in today’s news conference:

He confirmed the new All-Star Game format, which will feature two teams of American-born players and one international team in a round-robin competition. Silver expressed hope that the new approach will help to motivate the players. “I think in the case of the NBA, this is what I’m trying to convey, particularly to younger players, is that All-Star is a big deal,” he said. “There’s been great traditions out there. People have great memories of these All-Star Games. It’s part of the fabric of this league, the excitement that comes from it and the engagement from our players.”
Discussions are continuing on a potential new NBA-run European league, and Silver said he and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum traveled this summer to Europe, where they met with stakeholders. Silver also denied speculation that the venture in Europe will replace NBA expansion efforts. He called them “completely different entities” and said expansion was discussed at the board meeting, although there’s nothing new to report. “Part of the difficulty in potentially assessing it is a sense of long-term value of the league, and a little bit maybe it’s a high-class problem, but as with some of the recent jumps in franchise valuations, that sort of creates some confusion in the marketplace about how you might even price an expansion franchise,” Silver said. “I’ll only say it’s something that we continue to actively look at.”
Silver refused to say if there are any limitations on Malik Beasley‘s availability while the league investigates his role in a gambling scandal. “I’ll only say there that the investigation is ongoing,” Silver said. “As I understand it, there’s still a federal investigation that’s ongoing of Malik Beasley as well. We will address whatever is presented to us in his case.”

NBA Conducting Own Investigation Into Malik Beasley

September 10th, 2025 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is conducting its own investigation into Malik Beasley related to allegations of improper gambling on games and prop bets, the league confirmed to ESPN’s David Purdum. Beasley is “fully cooperating” in that probe, attorney Steve Haney told ESPN.

Word broke in June, just ahead of his free agency, that the veteran sharpshooter was under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney’s office due to unusual betting activity on Beasley-related wagers during the 2023/24 season.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in August that Beasley is no longer a “target” in that investigation, though subsequent reports indicated that he’s still a “subject” of the investigation, meaning he’s not entirely in the clear.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the NBA has the right to investigate a case and hand out its own penalty (e.g. a fine or suspension) unless a player is explicitly found not guilty in a court of law. So even if federal investigators don’t charge Beasley, that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t face any punishment from the league, though presumably the findings in both investigations will be similar.

Investigators in the case are reportedly focused on unusually heavy betting activity on Beasley’s statistics in January 2024, including a Jan. 31 game in which action on his “under 2.5 rebounds” prop bet surged significantly in the hours leading up to tip-off — he ended up grabbing six rebounds in that game, meaning the bets deemed unusual lost.

The NBA’s investigation into Beasley is believed to be in its final stages, a source familiar with the situation tells Purdum. For what it’s worth, the 28-year-old wing recently published an Instagram post in which he stated that “my decision is near,” which may be a reference to a free agency decision.

Beasley and the Pistons were reportedly deep in talks on a three-year, $42MM deal before word of the federal investigation broke and Detroit pulled that offer. The Pistons no longer have the cap space or exceptions available to make that sort of offer for Beasley, but could go up to a starting salary of $7.2MM using his Non-Bird rights.

The Cavaliers, Knicks, and Timberwolves are among the other teams said to have registered interest in Beasley. He’s coming off a strong season in Detroit in which he was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up after averaging 16.3 points per game and finishing second in the NBA in three-pointers made (319).

Eastern Notes: Shamet, Thomas, Bucks Survey, Donovan

September 8th, 2025 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Landry Shamet remains under heavy consideration to fill the Knicks’ available roster opening for a veteran’s minimum contract, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Shamet was a key reserve for the club last season, appearing in 50 games. Shamet has reportedly been working out in New York while hoping to re-sign with the Knicks.

A report from Marc Stein earlier on Monday indicated that Ben Simmons turned down an offer from the Knicks. Another prominent free agent, Malik Beasley, is a long shot to sign with them, according to Bondy, who names Malcolm Brogdon as another possibility for that veteran-minimum slot.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The fact that restricted free agent Cam Thomas signed his $6MM qualifying offer means he’s not in the Nets’ plans beyond this season, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com writes. Despite some gaudy offensive numbers, Thomas is an undersized, shoot-first guard who has been a poor defender throughout his career, Slater adds. The QO comes with a no-trade clause but the Nets now have little incentive to offer Thomas a featured role this season, which could complicate his market next summer, Slater notes.
Bucks fans who answered a survey conducted by The Athletic’s Eric Nehm have little faith that the team will the NBA championship this season. Out of 690 responses, 81.2% were either “not that confident” or “not at all confident” that the Bucks will win it all. However, Bucks fans remain high on general manager Jon Horst, as 83.1% said they were either “extremely confident” or “somewhat confident” in him. The same could not be said of Doc Rivers, as 62.7% expressed little or no confidence in the veteran head coach.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame over the weekend. Now, Donovan must show he’s a Hall of Fame coach by finally turning the Bulls into a true playoff contender, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times opines.

Free Agent Ben Simmons Considering Retirement

September 4th, 2025 at 1:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:45 pm: Agent Bernie Lee has informed the National Basketball Players Association that he is no longer representing Simmons as the two-time All-Defensive member weighs his next steps, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).

8:06 am: Veteran free agent Ben Simmons remains unsigned, and it’s possible he’ll decide to end his career instead of joining a team before the start of training camp. A source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Simmons is unsure “if he wants to continue” playing in the NBA.

The Knicks are among the teams that have expressed interest in the former No. 1 pick, but they can only offer a veteran’s minimum contract that would be worth a little more than $3MM. That might not be enough to lure Simmons, who is only 29 but has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years. Bondy points out that Simmons has made more than $200MM in his career and may not want to continue pushing his body after undergoing multiple back surgeries.

Another source tells Bondy that along with Simmons, New York is still considering Landry Shamet and at least one other free agent to fill a roster opening. The front office has also contacted representatives for Malik Beasley, Bondy adds, but his status remains uncertain due to his involvement in a federal gambling probe. Beasley may get a more lucrative offer if teams are confident that he’ll be able to play.

Simmons split last season with the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 51 games. It was the most games he has appeared in since 2020/21, which was his last All-Star season.

In addition to their financial limitations, the Knicks may not be able to offer consistent playing time to Simmons, Bondy notes. Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson have already been added in free agency this summer, joining the core of a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Bondy states that another team still has interest in signing Simmons, but he doesn’t specify who it is. The Kings and Warriors have been mentioned as possibilities, and they both have roster spots available.

Central Notes: Beasley, Pistons, Cavaliers

September 3rd, 2025 at 5:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Free agent former Pistons swingman Malik Beasley has touched back down in Detroit, reports Robert Snell of The Detroit News (subscriber link). After coughing up $38K in delinquent money owed, he has moved back into the apartment from which he was evicted last month.

According to Snell, the 6’4″ sharpshooter maintains interest in re-signing with the Pistons for the 2025/26 season. His free agency this summer has been marred by a federal gambling investigation. He is no longer considered a “target” in the probe, but he remains a possible “subject”, so he isn’t entirely in the clear.

Detroit could sign Beasley using his Non-Bird rights for as much as $7.2MM.

He enjoyed a terrific run during his inaugural season with the club, helping the Pistons notch a 44-38 record and return to the playoffs for the first time in six years.

While playing all 82 games for Detroit, mostly as a reserve, Beasley averaged 16.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.9 SPG in just 27.8 MPG. He also connected on 41.6% of his triple tries and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

With just one open standard roster spot left to potentially fill, the Pistons‘ personnel appears to be (mostly) pretty set for 2025/26. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) projects the club’s depth chart for the new year, including how he thinks the team will integrate new free agent wing signings Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert.
The Cavaliers will hold their training camp at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for a second straight year, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Returning to IMG Academy is a testament to the tremendous experience we had there last year,” team president Koby Altman said. “The overall engagement, both at the Bradenton facility and throughout the community, was an invaluable part of our preparations.” The Cavs’ camp will take place from September 30 to October 5.
In case you missed it, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic announced his retirement from offseason competitions for the Montenegrin national team.

Fischer’s Latest: Beasley, Warriors, Brogdon, Highsmith, More

August 28th, 2025 at 2:35pm CST by Rory Maher

The status of free agent wing Malik Beasley is somewhat murky at the moment, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

While Beasley’s lawyers told ESPN their client is no longer the “target” of a federal gambling probe, a subsequent report said he was still a “subject” and could still face legal challenges. Beasley is also expected to be investigated by the NBA, Fischer reports.

According to Fischer, the Cavaliers, Knicks, Timberwolves and Pistons are the main teams to touch base with Beasley’s camp in the hope that he’ll eventually be able to play in 2025/26. However, Fischer hears none of those teams have actually discussed signing Beasley with his future seemingly still up in the air.

If Beasley is ultimately cleared of any legal wrongdoing and by the NBA, the 28-year-old will be seeking more than the veteran’s minimum on his next contract, sources tell Fischer. It’s worth noting that of the four suitors, Detroit — his incumbent team — can offer Beasley the highest starting salary ($7.2MM). Cleveland and New York would be limited to minimum-salary deals, while Minnesota could offer a little above the minimum.

Here are a few more rumors from Fischer’s latest story:

Jonathan Kuminga‘s uncertain contract status has had a ripple effect on several free agents still on the market, Fischer notes, including Malcolm Brogdon. Fischer says the Warriors are expected to sign Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and No. 56 overall pick Will Richard once Kuminga’s situation is resolved and have expressed a level of interest in Brogdon as well. The Knicks and Timberwolves have also been keeping an eye on Brogdon, Fischer adds.
While Fischer’s breakdown of prospective Warriors signees includes Richard, he doesn’t mention No. 52 overall pick Alex Toohey at all. That could point to the Australian wing ending up on a two-way contract or as a draft-and-stash prospect rather than being a candidate for the 15-man roster.
Fischer hears that the Timberwolves are “actively trying to work through the financial details” in a new contract for Bones Hyland. That suggests Hyland, who is no longer eligible for a two-way deal, may receive a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contract.
The Heat are still trying to trade Terry Rozier but there’s “scant” interest in the veteran guard, who is also being investigated as part of a federal gambling probe. Miami is also believed to be interested in a buyout, Fischer reports, though nothing is imminent on that front.
Fischer expects new Nets forward Haywood Highsmith to be back on the trade block at some point. Brooklyn has “no plans” to be competitive in 2025/26 and will continue to look to stockpile assets in trades, Fischer adds. The Nets recently acquired Highsmith, who is recovering from knee surgery, from Miami along with a second-round pick. Assuming he’s back to full health, Highsmith should have a chance to rebuild his trade value, and his expiring $5.6MM contract would fit into a team’s mid-level exception.

Wolves Among Teams To Touch Base With Malik Beasley

August 26th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are among the teams that have been in contact with Malik Beasley‘s camp about the free agent swingman, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Minnesota joins the Pistons, Cavaliers, and Knicks as the teams known to have expressed interest in Beasley, Scotto notes.

As we detailed earlier today, while the 28-year-old is no longer a target of a federal investigation into unusual gambling and prop betting activity, he’s still considered a subject of that probe, so he hasn’t been fully cleared by either investigators or the NBA. However, his outlook has apparently improved enough that teams are increasingly willing to explore the idea of signing him.

Beasley spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Timberwolves from 2020-22 before being traded to Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert mega-deal during the ’22 offseason. He put up some of the best scoring numbers of his career in Minnesota, averaging 15.1 points per game in 130 outings, with a 38.9% mark on three-point tries.

The Timberwolves have 13 players under contract and are operating about $5.9MM below the second tax apron, so they would have the ability to offer Beasley more than a minimum-salary contract using the taxpayer mid-level exception, especially if they’re not committed to carrying a 15th man to open the regular season.

The Pistons still control Beasley’s Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer him a first-year salary worth up to $7.2MM. However, their level of interest in re-signing him after adding Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson this summer is unclear.

The Knicks and Cavaliers are both limited to minimum-salary offers. As Scotto points out, Cleveland’s desire to add another wing may have increased in the wake of Max Strus‘ foot surgery.

Latest On Malik Beasley

August 26th, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

An ESPN report last week stating that Malik Beasley is no longer a target of a federal gambling investigation into unusual prop betting activity has fueled speculation about the possibility of the free agent sharpshooter joining an NBA team for the start of the 2025/26 season. The Knicks and Cavaliers are among the clubs said to have interest.

However, as we detailed over the weekend, the term “target” has a specific legal definition to federal prosecutors, and while it may not apply to Beasley, that doesn’t mean he’s entirely in the clear.

The former Pistons wing is still a “subject” of the investigation being conducted by the Eastern District of New York, a source has confirmed to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports.

As Schiffer explains, a subject of an investigation is defined by the Department of Justice as “a person whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jury’s investigation,” whereas a target is someone who “has substantial evidence linking him or her to the commission of a crime and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is a putative defendant.”

In practical terms, that means that while federal investigators aren’t zeroing in on Beasley specifically, he also could still theoretically face criminal charges, something his lawyer Steve Haney acknowledged to Robert Snell and Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News.

“I have no idea,” Haney said when asked if Beasley will be charged. “That is the frustrating thing. You live in a state of purgatory with a cloud hanging over your head for what? Forever? And you’re out of the league and can never play basketball again?”

It makes sense that NBA teams would be reluctant to finalize a deal with the 28-year-old before getting clarity on whether or not he’ll face charges (or discipline from the league) related to the unusual activity on Beasley-related prop bets during the 2023/24 season. Still, it’s worth noting that there’s technically nothing stopping an NBA club from signing him.

For example, Heat guard Terry Rozier, who has also been investigated as part of the federal probe into illegal betting, continued to play during the second half of last season while that investigation was ongoing and is still on Miami’s roster. Based on somewhat conflicting reports about his status, it sounds as if Rozier in the same boat as Beasley — not a “target,” but not fully cleared yet either as the probe continues.

Besides being a subject in a federal investigation, Beasley has also had his share of financial issues in recent years, as outlined in multiple reports this summer. He allegedly failed to pay off debts to a celebrity barber, a money lender, a marketing firm, and a dentist, and was evicted from his apartment earlier this month after being accused of not paying rent.

Haney, who has been working with Beasley in an effort to clear up his debts, said his client could reclaim his apartment as soon as this week and suggested that his financial woes have been overstated.

“A lot of his problems came from, I think, a lack of management and not having somebody diligently coordinating a lot of his financial matters,” Haney told The Detroit News. “And though I’m not his business manager, I am trying to help coordinate whatever I can to get him back in better standing.

“… It is not fair to characterize him as being broke. Athletes are very busy. They have had a life of privilege. They are not used to handling business affairs. Most of these NBA players get people around them that they trust to handle business affairs. Malik obviously did not have people in his management circle that were diligent. We are working with him to go through and solve some of the problems.”

If not for Beasley’s off-court complications, he’d almost certainly be the most coveted unrestricted free agent left on the market. The former Florida State standout is coming off a very strong season in Detroit in which he was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up after averaging 16.3 points per game and ranking second in the NBA in three-pointers made (319). He has knocked down 41.5% of 8.1 three-point attempts per contest over the past two seasons for the Bucks and Pistons.

Cavaliers Among Teams Interested In Malik Beasley

August 24th, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers are among the teams that have checked in on free agent wing Malik Beasley, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The Knicks are another team interested in Beasley, Scotto adds. Multiple reporters have stated that New York has been monitoring Beasley’s situation.

Beasley is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation being conducted by the Eastern District of New York, his lawyers recently told Shams Charania of ESPN.

However, as Michael McCann of Sportico details, just because Beasley is no longer considered a “target” of the federal investigation doesn’t necessarily mean he’s fully in the clear. It’s possible he still may still be a “subject” of the investigation, which has a different legal meaning with the Department of Justice.

And even if the 28-year-old is cleared of any type of criminal wrongdoing, that doesn’t necessarily mean he has not broken any NBA rules, McCann writes. The league will have to determine independently whether or not Beasley broke any “contractual, labor and employment obligations.”

The 6’4″ shooting guard is coming off a strong season in Detroit in which he was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up after averaging 16.3 points per game while shooting a career-high 41.6% from long distance and ranking second in the NBA in three-pointers made (319).

Scotto points out that Knicks senior vice president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas signed Beasley to a lucrative contract while he was running Minnesota’s front office in 2020. Both the Cavaliers and the Knicks have open standard roster spots, but they can only offer Beasley a minimum-salary deal, Scotto notes.