Despite Earning $59 Million In The NBA So Far, Malik Beasley Apparently Can't Afford To Pay His Barber, Dentist, Or Rent

NBA guard Malik Beasley was a solid contributor for the Detroit Pistons last season. And thanks to that performance, the team was reportedly JUST ABOUT to offer Beasley a three-year, $42 million contract extension. Unfortunately, that deal went up in smoke after it was announced Beasley was the subject of a federal gambling investigation. Depending on how the investigation shakes out, Beasley could be out of the league entirely.

Up to this point in his career, Beasley has earned around $59 million playing in the NBA. After taxes, lawyers, and agents, let's very conservatively call it $20 million in net earnings. And yet, according to court documents dug up by Robert Snell of The Detroit News, Beasley is drowning in debt, owing money to a celebrity barber, a marketing agency, a dentist, two landlords, and at least two high-interest lenders. One marketing firm is suing him for more than $2 million. A dentist has already started garnishing his Pistons paycheck. And that's just the start…

Luke Hales/Getty Images

Beasley's Million-Dollar Debt Spiral

Let's start with Hazan Sports Management Group, which sued Beasley in April. The boutique marketing agency said it gave Beasley $650,000 in cash, which he'd repay after earning money from using his name, image, and likeness. Beasley fired the agency in February without paying Hazan back, the company alleges. Hazan is looking for $2.25 million for breach of contract.

But that's just one line item on a growing list of financial battles.

Beasley had previously lost a judgment worth $5.8 million against South River Capital, which loans money to professional athletes. About a year ago, he signed with another company that provides loans, using his current and future NBA contracts as collateral to secure the deal.

Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, acknowledged how common these lending arrangements are, but criticized the lenders themselves:

"Many of these lenders are predatory and charge extremely high interest rates and outrageous fees that border on usury."

Beasley's Known Debts

• $5.8 million – South River Capital judgment
• $2.25 million – Hazan Sports Management breach of contract suit
• $34,390 – Judgment to Minnesota dentist
• $26,827 – Judgment to Cairo Cuts barbershop
• $21,505 – Unpaid rent across two lawsuits filed by Bedrock Detroit
• Undisclosed – 2024 bridge loan collateralized by NBA contracts

A Hectic Year of Lawsuits and Judgments

This year has been a financial nightmare for Beasley. In January, both a Minnesota dentist and the Cairo Cuts barbershop—popular among NBA players—won judgments against him. The dentist, Hassan Alshehabi of Delicate Smiles, began garnishing Beasley's paychecks while he was still playing for the Pistons. Beasley had previously been featured in Cairo Cuts' social media, with posts showing him "playoff ready" in the barber chair. Now, the barbershop has a court order worth $26,827.

His housing situation wasn't much better. In March, Beasley was sued in Detroit for failing to pay $14,150 in rent at The Stott, a luxury high-rise owned by Dan Gilbert's Bedrock Detroit. That case was dismissed, but the landlord sued him again the following month for another $7,355 in unpaid rent. A hearing is scheduled for mid-July.

And just to top it off, Hazan Sports Management served Beasley with its lawsuit at the Ritz-Carlton NoMad in New York, one day after he helped the Pistons defeat the Knicks in Game 2 of their playoff series.

Will the NBA Pull the Plug?

The biggest cloud over Beasley's future is the federal gambling investigation. The probe reportedly centers around suspicious prop bet activity from the 2023–24 season, when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks. One specific game between the Bucks and the Trail Blazers drew unusual betting patterns on the under for Beasley's rebound total. Though Beasley ended up recording six rebounds—going over the line—the volume of bets caught the attention of regulators.

If found guilty of betting on games or influencing outcomes, Beasley could face the same fate as former Raptors big man Jontay Porter, who was banned from the NBA for life in 2024. If cleared, Beasley could still find a home on a team in need of scoring. But his $42 million Pistons deal is gone, and no new offers have been reported since the investigation became public.

Beasley was on the verge of crossing $100 million in career earnings. Instead, he may be out of a job, deep in debt, and legally entangled for years. His story is a cautionary tale—proof that even generational wealth can evaporate with the wrong contracts, the wrong habits, and the wrong timing.