Malik Beasley Faces Lawsuit Over $1 Million in Alleged Damages

NEW YORK, NY — Malik Beasley is facing a lawsuit that claims he owes over $1 million in damages. The lawsuit, filed this week in the Southern District of New York, comes from Hazan Sports Management (HSM), the agency he fired earlier this year.

HSM, led by president Daniel Hazan and vice president Andrew Hoenig, is suing Beasley for breach of contract and related claims. The agency alleges they played a crucial role in resuscitating Beasley’s career after he signed with them in November 2023, despite his known legal and financial issues.

According to HSM, they provided Beasley with a substantial marketing advance of $650,000 to help address his problems. The agency claims Beasley signed two contracts with them: one regarding his employment with NBA teams and another for marketing deals with a four-year term that made HSM his exclusive marketing agent.

The marketing contract includes a $1 million liquidated damages clause, which specifies penalties for breaches. HSM asserts that the clause is fair given the risks they took and the advance they provided.

HSM argues that they revived Beasley’s career, leading him to sign a $6 million deal with the Detroit Pistons for the 2024-25 season, a significant increase from his previous salary of $2.7 million with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Despite his successful season, averaging 16 points per game, Beasley fired HSM in February 2025, just 15 months into their contract. HSM claims they have only received small repayments from him and vague promises to settle the remaining balance.

The lawsuit notably does not claim Beasley breached his standard player agent contract. This contract includes a mandatory arbitration clause that typically governs disputes between players and agents under the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) guidelines.

The NBPA has established arbitration procedures to resolve agent-player disputes privately, away from public scrutiny. HSM appears to be insulating itself against potential dismissal of their complaint by limiting claims to the marketing contract, which does not contain an arbitration clause.

Beasley might argue that HSM failed to meet its contractual obligations, potentially affecting the court’s perception of the case. If he has already made repayments, it could complicate any claims he makes regarding not owing money.

The case is currently before U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, who is also overseeing a separate case involving the musician Drake. Meanwhile, Beasley’s team, the Pistons, is tied with the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, with the next game scheduled for Thursday.