Former NBA player Ed Davis has signaled his intent to plead guilty in his federal sports betting case, according to a docket entry in the case Friday.
Davis, the former North Carolina forward and first-round draft pick, initially pleaded not guilty to four federal charges, including bribery in sporting contests and wire fraud conspiracy. But on Friday, the judge overseeing his case asked a federal magistrate to schedule a hearing for Davis to change his plea.
John Adams, one of Davis' attorneys, told ESPN that they had no further comment beyond the information entered on the docket, as did a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York.
Davis, 37, is one of six defendants in the case, which alleges he and Malik Beasley, another former NBA player, worked together as part of an alleged sports gambling scheme that targeted at least four games during the 2023-24 season. Prosecutors allege that Beasley, who was with the Milwaukee Bucks at the time, received bribes to deliberately underperform in games, and that the money was often used to reduce or pay off debts that he owed to Davis.
"Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting," Davis texted Beasley in December 2023, according to the indictment.
"We can make some good money."
Davis spent 12 years in the NBA with eight different teams and was teammates with Beasley during the 2020-21 season. He last played in 2022 for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Beasley, who played nine seasons in the NBA, agreed to plead guilty in the case last week as part of a deal with prosecutors. He is scheduled to formally change his plea at a hearing Dec. 9.
Paolo Zamorano, who was Davis' agent, is now the only defendant in the case who has not pleaded guilty or signaled an intent to do so. Attorneys for Zamorano did not immediately reply to a message from ESPN on Friday.
ESPN's David Purdum contributed to this report.