NBA star signs with Bad Bunny’s team amid gambling investigation
Free agent Malik Beasley is set to sign with the Santurce Crabbers in Puerto Rico.
Days on from his headline-making Super Bowl performance, Bad Bunny’s basketball team Santurce Crabbers are close to a big-name signing. However it won’t be without controversy.
NBA insider Shams Charania reports that NBA free agent Malik Beasley has signed a contract to join the Puerto Rico-based franchise. The Crabbers’ season in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league begins in March and Beasley is set to join up to showcase his skills ahead of the start of 2026 NBA free agency.
Free agent Malik Beasley has signed a deal to play in Puerto Rico for Grammy Award-winning artist Bad Bunny's team Santurce Crabbers, both parties tell ESPN. The team's season begins in March. Beasley has been under NBA and FBI investigations for gambling allegations. pic.twitter.com/HCBWUbWZj9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 13, 2026
Beasley is currently without a team amid a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, relating to allegations of improper gambling in the NBA. The 29-year-old has seen all free agent negotiations halted while the investigations go on.
Beasley was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 19th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent five years the Nuggets, before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020. Three years in Minnesota was followed by spells with the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, before moving to the Detroit Pistons for the 2024/25 season.
On the court, Beasley has been one of the most electrifying three-point shooters in in the NBA in recent years. Now, he is hoping that a spell in Puerto Rico will help him stay fit as he awaits the results of the investigation.
The team he is joining benefits from the media and business backing of Bad Bunny, a global figure in urban music and one of the most influential artists in the world. Beasley’s arrival in Puerto Rico is a major coup for the league, one that is sure to help boost its profile in the mainland United States.
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