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Read Full BioMalik Beasley has signed a deal to play in Puerto Rico for Super Bowl performer Bad Bunny’s professional basketball team, Cangrejeros de Santurce.
The former Detroit Pistons player confirmed the move on Friday, writing on Instagram, “Shoutout to @badbunnypr @cangrejerosbasket for giving me the opportunity to just hoop.
“With everything going on, I wanted to be close to home and give myself a chance to be seen again. Coming off my best season in the NBA, I know I can only build from here. The grind hasn’t changed. I’m more humble than ever, and I’ve learned a lot about myself through it all. If you’re still with me, you’re still with me. Let’s get it.”
The team also posted a welcome message to the player on Instagram.
Reports had suggested he was set to move to Serbia, but that deal fell through. Beasley admitted talks had occurred, but his agent said the parties could not agree on terms.
Career Derailed By Betting Investigation
The 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year has been a free agent since last year. He had been set to sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the Pistons before news broke of a betting investigation into his prop markets.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the league continues to investigate the unusual betting activity on Beasley. He has not been charged or implicated in the scandal that has led to the arrests of Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and others.
Despite being indicted, Rozier won the battle to receive his $26 million annual salary from the Miami Heat while the case is ongoing. Rozier has pleaded not guilty to charges of providing information to bettors that he would exit a game early while playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
The investigation into Beasley followed reports of unusual betting on him to record fewer than 2.5 rebounds in a match against the Portland Trail Blazers in January 2024, while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Despite Beasley notching six rebounds, the allegations derailed contract talks with the Pistons, and no other team took a gamble on the player for this season.
His attorney, Steve Haney, has spoken out against what he sees as an injustice for his client. He stated, “Malik is not charged, not indicted and not a target of the investigation, but he’s unemployed because of it.”
Cangrejeros de Santurce were resurrected as a team in 2021 by Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda, with Bad Bunny later joining as a co-owner. The team finished second in their division last season before losing in the semi-finals of the playoffs to eventual champions, Vaqueros de Bayamón.
