Former NBA big man Ed Davis intends to change his plea to guilty in a federal gambling case involving Malik Beasley, according to court records reviewed by Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Davis initially pleaded not guilty after being indicted this summer on four charges, including sports bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His planned change of plea has been referred to a federal judge, Vorkunov reported.
An attorney for Davis and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.
Prosecutors allege Davis loaned money to Beasley after the guard accumulated millions of dollars in gambling debt, then organized a scheme for Beasley to manipulate his performance so Davis and others could profit from player prop bets.
The two were teammates with the Timberwolves during the 2020-21 season.
According to the indictment, Beasley told Davis before a Jan. 26, 2024, game against the Cavaliers that he “intended to underperform with respect to rebounding.” Beasley finished with three rebounds, below a betting line of 3.5.
Prosecutors allege Beasley altered his play in four Bucks games during the 2023-24 season.
Beasley also intends to plead guilty, with his hearing scheduled for Dec. 9. Another defendant, William Brown, has already pleaded guilty, while Robert Gorodetsky and Ernesto Plascencia are scheduled to do so this month.
Davis was selected No. 13 overall in the 2010 draft and played 12 NBA seasons, including a stint with the Cavaliers.
The planned pleas follow guilty pleas by former NBA players Jontay Porter and Damon Jones in separate gambling-related cases. Terry Rozier has pleaded not guilty in his case and denied the allegations through his attorneys. His trial is scheduled for Feb. 8.
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