Malik Beasley, agent deny reports guard close to playing in Serbia

With his client out of professional basketball since the end of last season, Malik Beasley's agent on Tuesday threw cold water on a report over the weekend that the guard was close to signing to play overseas.

European outlet Nova.rs reported on Sunday that Beasley, 29, was nearing agreement with Serbian club Partizan Belgrade on a contact for the remainder of the season worth $2 million. Beasley has been out of the NBA since his name surfaced in reports regarding a gambling investigation, though he was never charged.

Agent Brian Jungreis, speaking with Front Office Sports on Tuesday, said his client is still far away from signing with the Adriatic Basketball Association and EuroLeague team.

"These are exaggerated reports. We had conversations and some framework, but nowhere close to anything closing or happening for the moment," Jungreis told FOS.

Beasley himself offered a more direct refuting of the report on Monday, saying on Instagram, "I'm not going to Serbia. I wish y'all m****s would know that. I'm not coming."

Beasley had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024-25, playing in all 82 games and averaging 16.3 points and hitting nearly four 3-pointers per game with the Detroit Pistons. His career hit a major detour while he was a free agent over the summer as both the NBA and federal authorities investigated his potential involvement in a gambling ring.

According to ESPN, discussions about a new three-year, $42 million contract with the Pistons were halted over the summer because of the allegations. Beasley's attorneys claimed in late August that the guard was not a target of any investigation.

Nonetheless, Beasley remains unsigned by an NBA club.

Beasley has career averages of 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists with the Denver Nuggets (2016-18 to 2019-20), Minneapolis Timberwolves (2019-20 to 2021-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2022-23), Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24) and Detroit (2024-25).

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.

--Field Level Media