Ex-NBA Player Ed Davis Pleads Not Guilty in Prop Betting Case as Silver Backs Sports Betting Czar

Retired NBA player Ed Davis has entered a not guilty plea to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, sports bribery, money laundering, and honest services fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Prosecutors allege Davis acted as a go-between for current Milwaukee Bucks guard Malik Beasley in a loan used to settle gambling debts, which was then leveraged to influence Beasley’s performance during the 2023–2024 season. The indictment specifically cites Beasley’s rebound totals in at least four games that allegedly followed betting instructions, including a March 10, 2024 game against the Los Angeles Clippers where wagering activity exceeded $5,000.

Broader Federal Investigation

The case is part of a sweeping federal investigation into NBA-linked gambling that has ensnared multiple current and former players. Other defendants in the same Brooklyn-based probe include former player agent Paolo Zamorano, who has also pleaded not guilty, along with Ernesto Plascencia, Robert Gorodetsky, and William Brown, who have not yet been arraigned. Earlier charges in the investigation brought indictments against former players Damon Jones, Terry Rozier, and Chauncey Billups. Jones pleaded guilty in April to wire fraud conspiracy for disseminating non-public injury information about a Lakers player to an illegal betting syndicate. Separately, former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to wire fraud after being banned by the NBA for fixing games.

Silver Calls for Federal Oversight

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the growing integrity crisis at the Vegas NBA Summer League, stating he is "very pro-regulation" and backing elements of a proposal for a federal sports betting commissioner. The concept, floated by former federal prosecutor Carolyn Pokorny, envisions an independent czar with subpoena powers to coordinate multi-state investigations. Silver noted that a coalition among major sports leagues could establish best practices for policing insider trading, prop manipulation, and compulsive gambling. However, he acknowledged the NBA has "remarkably little control" over how its intellectual property is used by sportsbooks, lamenting, "We don’t get to make decisions as to whether prop bets can be placed."

Ongoing Court Proceedings

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York described the scheme as one that "erode[s] the integrity of American sports and victimise[s] the sports-watching public." Malik Beasley is scheduled to return to court on August 6, 2026. Meanwhile, prosecutors recently informed the court that plea agreements are nearing with 11 defendants in a parallel illegal poker case, including alleged ringleader Shane Hennen, who also faces charges in a college basketball point-shaving scandal. The developments underscore rising concerns across U.S. professional and college sports, with league officials and lawmakers weighing federal intervention to restore trust in the integrity of competition.