Fri Aug 22 12:03pm ET
Field Level Media
NBA free-agent guard Malik Beasley no longer is the target of a federal gambling investigation, his attorneys told ESPN on Friday.
Authorities from the Eastern District of New York were looking into allegations that Beasley was tied to gambling activity on NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks at the time.
"Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation," Beasley's attorney Steve Haney told ESPN. "An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence."
Beasley spent the 2024-25 season with the Detroit Pistons on a one-year, $6 million contract.
ESPN reported that because of the allegations, discussions about a new three-year, $42 million contract were halted.
Beasley, 28, appeared in all 82 games (18 starts) last season with the Pistons and averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 41.6 percent from three-point range.
He has career averages of 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists with the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minneapolis Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023), Bucks (2023-24) and Pistons.
The NBA suspended Beasley for 12 games in 2021 after he entered a guilty plea to a felony charge of threats of violence. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail to be served after the 2020-21 season and was released after 78 days.
According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Knicks (among other teams) are reportedly interested in free-agent guard Malik Beasley. The 2016 No. 19 overall pick has bounced around the league over the years. He most recently logged 82 games for the Pistons last season, averaging 16.3 points and shooting 41.6% from downtown. As a result, Beasley was expected to be a coveted free agent entering the offseason. However, that all changed when it was revealed in June that he was the target of a federal investigation for gambling on NBA contests. On Friday, it was announced that Beasley was no longer being investigated. With the news, teams are now seemingly interested in acquiring his services, although there aren't many clubs in the National Basketball Association that can offer him what he would have received from the Pistons. With that in mind, Beasley still has some hurdles to clear before he is cleared to get back on the court. Still, it appears there's a good chance he'll be on a roster come opening night, with his draft stock predicted to surge if more positive updates are released moving forward.
Miami Heat shooting guard Dru Smith (Achilles) appears to be on track to be healthy for the start of the season. Speaking to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Smith said his rehab has been "going really well" and that he's "been on a great trajectory." The 27-year-old, who tore his Achilles in December, has his sights set on being ready for training camp. "I think the goal, obviously, is to be ready by camp," Smith said. "And I think that as of right now, with no setback, that's kind of what we're looking at." Before getting hurt, Smith posted 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 19.1 minutes per game last season. He'll aim to re-establish himself as a regular in the rotation when the season kicks off.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (Achilles) has provided a fresh update on his rehab. "Rehab is tedious, man," Tatum said. "It's six days a week. I'm starting to get a little bit better. I'm out of the boot now. Better days ahead, but just trying to take it one day at a time. You gotta be resilient. The first six weeks of this was probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life." Tatum still doesn't have an official timeline for his comeback, but he's eager to return. "Just have to accept it and realize it happened. And now I have to do everything in my power to get back to who I was and get back to playing," he added.
Toronto Raptors guard/forward RJ Barrett might be leaving Canada soon. "RJ Barrett is certainly a name that I would tell you and tell Raptors fans to be on the lookout as a potential trade candidate going out the door with his $30 million in salary," NBA insider Fischer said on Wednesday. Fischer also mentioned that the Raptors already had discussions about moving Barrett with the New Orleans Pelicans in the Brandon Ingram trade. "Barrett's representation is fully aware that he could be discussed in trade moving forward for the Raptors," he added. Barrett has become a solid player and should attract significant interest on the market. The 25-year-old led Toronto in scoring last season, averaging 21.1 points per game, and posted 6.3 rebounds along with a career-high 5.4 assists.
Forward/center Al Horford remains a target for the Golden State Warriors, with the team confident that it can eventually get him under a contract. "I can tell you that the Warriors still remain very confident that Al Horford is waiting for whatever finality will come to Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency with Golden State," NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Wednesday. Since becoming an unrestricted free agent, Horford has really only been linked with the Warriors and seems certain to end up in San Francisco. The veteran big man is preparing for Year 19 in the NBA. Even at 39 years old, Horford could still offer some fantasy value if he becomes a regular starter with the Warriors.
The Miami Heat are bringing in point guard Jahmir Young for training camp, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports. He is expected to compete for a two-way roster spot. Despite going undrafted in 2024, Young made his NBA debut last season, appearing six times for the Chicago Bulls. Young earned a shot in the big league following impressive performances in the G League, where he averaged 21.7 points, 7.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. Additionally, Young spent the Summer League with the Bulls, but he was waived last month.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic has been linked with a move elsewhere, with even a contract buyout mentioned, but he appears set to start the 2025-26 campaign in the Windy City. "Yes, I have almost no doubt about it," the two-time All-Star told Basket USA in an interview. "That's the mindset I'm preparing with. Afterwards, we'll see, I don't know what's going to happen." In the same interview, Vucevic mentioned that Bulls general manager Marc Eversley reached out to him earlier this month and assured him that none of the rumors about him are true. Since he's one of the key players on the Bulls team, fantasy managers should be glad to hear Vucevic will stay. He has been very productive in Chicago, averaging 18.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey remains in contract limbo with no signs of the saga ending. Bulls insider K.C. Johnson has reported the team "likes" Giddey's play and wants to secure his services long-term, but isn't willing to offer him more than $20 million a year. Meanwhile, Giddey is holding out for an annual salary of $30 million. Johnson added that "the Bulls have given no indications league-wide that they are amenable to a sign-and-trade option." It was recently reported that the Golden State Warriors may be interested in acquiring Giddey through a sign-and-trade deal, but aren't willing to give up Moses Moody and Buddy Hield as part of the transaction.
Center Oscar Tshiebwe will return to the Utah Jazz for a second year after securing a new two-way contract. The former Kentucky Wildcat made 14 appearances with the Jazz last season, posting 7.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. At the same time, he was a monster in the G League with averages of 17.1 points, 19.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. Tshiebwe has been the G League's leading rebounder in back-to-back years while also earning All-NBA G League First Team honors in consecutive seasons. The Congolese big man looks to be an intriguing prospect for Utah and might get more playing time this season, although there's plenty of competition in the frontcourt.
Forward/center Skal Labissiere has agreed to a deal with the Washington Wizards to join the team for training camp. The 29-year-old is attempting to stick in the NBA after making a comeback in the league during the 2024-25 season. Labissiere made four appearances with the Sacramento Kings last term, his first NBA contests in five years. Overall, Labissiere has 152 games under his belt in the Association. He has averaged 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. These are solid numbers for a backup, and Labissiere could add more frontcourt depth for the Wizards if he secures a contract for the upcoming season.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, guard John Wall announced Tuesday that he is retiring from basketball after 11 seasons in the NBA. Wall spent the majority of his NBA career with the Washington Wizards, but he also had stints with the Rockets and Clippers at the end of his career. The University of Kentucky standout was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and was named an All-Star five times while in Washington. He also earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team and All-NBA Third Team honors once. The 34-year-old leaves the game with averages of 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest while shooting 30.3 percent from three-point range and 40.8 percent from the field.
Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton is expected to be a big piece for the team in 2025-26. "I've always witnessed him competing at a really high level," Hornets head coach Charles Lee said about Sexton during an appearance on WFNZ radio. "Since he's been around our group, he's elevated the intensity. He's definitely a sociable and in-your-face type guy, but I love it. I think he's going to add a lot to our group and our culture." Sexton has proven himself as a reliable scorer, but was traded for a second time in his career this offseason. He'll have plenty to prove in Charlotte, especially since he will be in the final year of his contract.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is not expected to get a contract extension from the team before the season starts. "With the current intel I have, I do not expect Rui to be extended by the Lakers in the next six weeks," Lakers insider Jovan Buha reported on Buha's Block. "It's certainly possible that something happens, but I would say most of what's been out there is them wanting to keep the books clean and wanting to see whether he starts or whether he's their sixth man and how the pieces fit this year." Hachimura is entering the last season of a three-year, $51 million deal and has been eligible for an extension since July 6. Since Hachimura is likely to be playing for his Lakers future in 2025-26, managers might get some extra fantasy value from the Japanese forward.
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is healthy and ready to go for the new season. Curry missed the end of the 2025 playoffs due to a hamstring injury, but he's now feeling "great" and is nearing the end of his offseason training. "Pacing myself nice," Curry told reporters at his Under Armour Camp. "Ready to finish the summer strong. ... When you see me whenever Media Day is, should be primed and ready to go." Curry is gearing up for Year 17 in the Association. He might no longer be an MVP candidate, but the 37-year-old is still very capable of making an impact in fantasy basketball. Last season, Curry averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals, shooting 39.7 percent from downtown.
Shooting guard Lester Quinones has signed a deal with the Orlando Magic to join the team for training camp, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Quinones has made 54 career appearances in the NBA and suited up 11 times last season with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans. He had some good performances in New Orleans, averaging 8.6 points and 2.6 assists in 18.4 minutes. While in the G League, Quinones crushed it as a member of the Pelicans-affiliated Birmingham Squadron, notching 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The 24-year-old has struggled to find a consistent role in the NBA and will probably have to mainly settle for G League minutes again in 2025-26.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (knee) will play on Tuesday night versus Great Britain. The 26-year-old was injured during Slovenia's EuroBasket exhibition against Latvia on Saturday. Fortunately, he only sustained a contusion and was able to practice on Monday. He appeared in 28 games for the Lakers last season after being traded by the Dallas Mavericks. He played well, averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.6 steals. Doncic is reportedly in excellent shape, so the increased focus on his diet and conditioning this offseason could go a long way in keeping him healthy for most of the 2025 campaign.
Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the New Orleans Pelicans and free agent forward Jalen McDaniels have agreed to a deal on Monday. McDaniels has posted averages of 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.7 steals while shooting 44.9 percent from the field. He's recorded 252 career regular-season outings during six NBA seasons spent with Charlotte, Philadelphia, Toronto, and, most recently, with Washington last season. The 27-year-old is not a player that should be on fantasy managers' radar going into the upcoming campaign.
Michael Scotto of USA Today reports that restricted free-agent center N'Faly Dante and the Atlanta Hawks agreed to a two-way deal worth $4.5 million for two seasons. The 23-year-old made four appearances last season for the Rockets, posting averages of 6.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per contest. He also shot 76.9 percent from the field during 12.8 minutes. Dante spent the majority of the 2024-25 campaign in the G League with Rio Grande Valley, leading the team with 2.2 blocks per contest.
According to Michael Scotto of USA Today, point guard Dru Smith (Achilles) agreed to a three-year, $7.9 million deal with the Miami Heat. Smith has played in 28 regular-season games across three NBA campaigns, mostly with Miami. In 2023-24, his season was cut short due to a torn ACL after just nine outings. His injury woes continued into last season as he had surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon. The 27-year-old played in 14 games, averaging 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 steals during 19.1 minutes per contest before suffering the injury. Once available to suit up, Smith will likely make a minimal impact on fantasy as he will have to battle for minutes with Davion Mitchell, Terry Rozier, and rookie Kasparas Jakucionis.
According to Ashish Mathur of Dallas Hoops Journal, "multiple teams" have attempted to acquire Chicago Bulls guard Coby White. However, Chicago has "shot down all inquiries." The Bulls have made several moves in the last few seasons that indicates the club is heading in a new direction. Still, it appears the front office isn't looking to move White, who is entering the final season of the three-year deal he signed back in 2023. He is coming off a productive year, averaging a career-high 20.4 points, adding 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds. With that in mind, White is expected to improve even more moving ahead, making him an even bigger asset for fantasy managers. He's also an excellent free throw shooter and has improved his shot from deep, which is a plus for category participants.
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