Miami Heat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups Won’t Be Paid While On Leave

October 29th, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

3:08 pm: The National Basketball Players Association has put out the following statement in response to the NBA’s decision to withhold Rozier’s salary, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link):

“While we are in agreement with the league that upholding the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance, their decision to place Terry on leave without pay is counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our Collective Bargaining Agreement,” an NBPA spokesperson said. “We plan to challenge their decision via the proper channels.”

12:30 pm: Reynolds clarifies (via Twitter) that Rozier’s withheld salary will be placed in an interest-bearing account rather than in escrow.

11:40 am: Heat guard Terry Rozier won’t receive his NBA salary while on leave after being arrested on federal charges related to an illegal betting scheme, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Confirming Reynolds’ report, ESPN’s Shams Charania says those pay checks will be held in escrow, pending the outcome of the FBI’s cases.

Charania adds that Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups – who was arrested in a separate but related illegal gambling case – also isn’t being paid.

Rozier has a cap hit of roughly $26.6MM this season. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the veteran guard would have received his first of 24 twice-monthly $1,110,126 pay checks later this week. If he’s eventually cleared and permitted to play in the NBA again, he would receive his full withheld salary, a source tells Reynolds.

Although Rozier isn’t being paid, the NBA also isn’t awarding the Heat any immediate cap or luxury tax relief, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). Winderman hears that discussions about the Heat’s cap situation are ongoing, with Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) confirming that there’s still a scenario in which the team could be granted some “special” relief even without the league voiding Rozier’s contract.

The Heat are currently operating right up against the luxury tax line and don’t have room to sign a 15th man in free agency without going into the tax.

Federal investigators have accused Rozier of providing inside information about his health to a friend – who sold it to bettors – and pulling himself from a March 2023 game (while he was a member of the Hornets) so that several “under” prop bets would hit. He left that game early, citing a foot injury and didn’t play for the rest of the 2022/23 season.

ESPN’s Paula Lavigne and David Purdum reported on Tuesday that Rozier faced an $8,218,211 tax lien from the Internal Revenue Service later in 2023. However, Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty told ESPN that his client actually owed the IRS a fraction of that amount.

“Terry never owed anyone $8 million,” Trusty said. “He owed $9,000 of the total $8 million in taxes from 2021, and it has been paid. We just need the IRS to help remove the now-defunct lien.”

Trusty made an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday to further defend his client, as Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald detail, transcribing that interview. Trusty didn’t dispute the idea that Rozier told a friend about his health back in March 2023, but described it as “a situation where a friend took information and ran with it. According to Trusty, the then-Hornets guard never shared information about his availability for the purposes of illegal betting.

“I think the prosecution basically knows it, but they liked the idea of having him as a trophy in this case to kind of mirror the bigger case with Chauncey Billups,” Trusty said. “And I hope over time they will start to realize maybe a little bit of buyer’s remorse. They bit off more than they can chew.

“This is an innocent guy who’s getting completely screwed, to use some legal vernacular, in terms of his career. It’s an 11-year vet. He’s played 1,000 games. They’re latching onto a game where the NBA literally cleared him two years ago and trying to suggest that somehow they know better and that they know he was a conspirator, as opposed to just somebody who had a hurt foot.”

Southeast Notes: Young, Magic, Miller, Hornets, Heat

October 28th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks opted not to pursue contract extensions with stars Trae Young or Kristaps Porzingis ahead of the 2025/26 season, deciding instead to assess the fit of the roster in the coming months before determining whether to commit long-term to their current core. Although Young admitted late last month that he was a little disappointed about entering training camp without a new deal in place, he told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN he’s not stressing about the situation.

“I think it’s going to be great. I’m not worried about it,” Young said. “As much as I wish it was, it’s not all in my hands and I can’t control everything. I just can only control the present. And I know if we win, everybody eats … I understand what winning can do. If certain things don’t go my way as far as injuries, health and stuff that I can’t control, that may be the man above telling me there’s another plan for me. I’m focused on making sure all my guys, (head coach) Quin (Snyder) included, get taken care of and succeed.”

The Hawks have dealt with some health issues to open the season, but had three starters back in the lineup on Monday, as Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain), Porzingis (flu-like symptoms), and Zaccharie Risacher (right ankle sprain) all returned from brief absences. It wasn’t enough to beat the Bulls though, as Atlanta fell 128-123 to drop to 1-3 in the first week of the season.

Still, Young expressed to Youngmisuk that he’s bullish about the amount of talent on the Hawks’ new-look roster, as well as the opportunity to play alongside a big man like Porzingis.

“I haven’t had a guy like him in the NBA,” Young said. “So I think you’ll be able to really see what different things that I can do with a guy that can pick and pop and spread the defense, spread the five man out to 30 feet. I think you’ll be able to see a lot of different things that I haven’t been able to show in the past, too. Hopefully this year I get a lot more catch-and-shoot shots, something that a lot people don’t think I can do.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Atlanta isn’t the only Southeast team off to a slow start after upgrading its roster this offseason. The Magic lost a third straight game on Monday, prompting Josh Robbins of The Athletic and Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) to explore whether the club will be able to play the uptempo style of offense it wants to while maintaining its defensive identity. “I think you can do both,” Magic guard Jalen Suggs said. “… A lot of what we’re talking about and trying to put emphasis on is getting out, playing fast, getting good looks, crashing (the offensive boards) … It just takes being very detailed and a concerted effort to then get back on defense after all that and sit down and get stops.”
Hornets forward Brandon Miller is seeking a second opinion on his injured shoulder, NBA insider Chris Haynes said during an appearance on The Association on NBA TV (Twitter video link). Miller’s injury – a left shoulder subluxation – is one that can be treated either surgically or non-surgically depending on the severity, so he and the Hornets are likely weighing all his options as they consider the best path forward for the former No. 2 overall pick.
Exploring whether the Heat have a case for compensation after not being informed of an NBA investigation into Terry Rozier before they acquired him from the Hornets in January 2024, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald speaks to ESPN’s Bobby Marks about what Marks calls an “unprecedented situation.” The Hornets haven’t said one way or another whether they knew about the investigation into unusual betting related to Rozier when they made the deal. “It’s a gray area that I think the league is going to have to look long and hard at,” Marks told Chiang. “When players are being investigated and are part of trade discussions, do they have the authority and morality to disclose that information? Because on the other end, legal will say, ‘Well, wait a minute. If we disclose it and the guy is not guilty, then we’ve just harmed the trade.'” Marks added that the Heat are “highly unlikely” to recoup the first-round pick they gave up for Rozier.

Heat Notes: Fontecchio, Rozier, Hornets Trade, Offense

October 26th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Simone Fontecchio was acquired by the Heat this summer in a sign-and-trade deal that sent Duncan Robinson to Detroit.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra was familiar with Fontecchio’s game, having extensively scouted his play with the Italian national team during the 2023 and 2024 offseasons while serving as an assistant with Team USA, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“Italy was my scout, so I literally watched every single one of his games for two years over there,” said Spoelstra, who has since been promoted to Team USA head coach. “He’s an explosive number-one option for Italy. When you shoulder those kinds of responsibilities and have everyone game-planning against you, yet still are able to have big games, that was really impressive.”

It was unclear how much Fontecchio would play for Miami this season after a disappointing ’24/25 campaign with the Pistons in which he shot just 33.5% from long distance. But he has been in the rotation ahead of young players like Pelle Larsson to this point, Winderman writes, and has gotten off to a strong start through two games, averaging 13.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.5 APG and 1.0 SPG in 21.0 MPG.

“For us, it’s a different option,” Spoelstra said. “We like his competitiveness. He, obviously, can really shoot the ball, but he’s not limited to that. He’s able to do other things like put the ball on the floor, fly off screens or just space off of your better players. We’re just really thankful that we have him with us.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

In the wake of Terry Rozier‘s arrest — he’s facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering after being accused of removing himself from a March 2023 game (when he was a member of the Hornets) so that several “under” prop bets would hit — Winderman argues the NBA should “right a wrong” and either rescind the first-round pick Miami owes Charlotte or give the Heat a compensatory first-rounder. As Winderman explains, the Heat reportedly didn’t know about the incident when they traded for Rozier in January 2024, nor were they aware of any league investigation into the matter. If Miami was granted a compensatory pick, the team would have its full complement of future first-rounders available to trade — the Heat are currently limited by the Stepien rule, Winderman notes.
In a mailbag for The Sun Sentinel, Winderman says the league could also opt to remove Rozier’s salary from the Heat’s cap sheet while his legal situation plays out. The 31-year-old would still continue to be paid in Winderman’s hypothetical, but not counting against the team’s books would give Miami much more financial flexibility, both now and going forward.
The Heat have been pleased with their new uptempo offense through two games, but they want to make sure it’s firing on all cylinders for an entire season, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “Playing with a pace like this, you love to see everybody collectively having fun, everybody getting to touch the ball,” Bam Adebayo said. “You can’t really scout plays for us. There are no plays. In the whole first half [Friday against the Grizzlies], I don’t think Spo ran a play. We’re trying to make it last all season. It’s fun when we play like this. It’s fun when we can get up and down, and run with that pace. And obviously, we need to make shots to dictate that. But our thing is just to keep playing this style of basketball, where there’s no hold. We’re swinging, we’re cutting. It’s hard to scout a team when everybody is live. So that’s what we’re trying to get to and that’s starting to be our identity.”

Heat Didn’t Know About Terry Rozier Investigation When Trade Took Place

October 25th, 2025 at 4:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat weren’t aware that Terry Rozier was under suspicion of illegal gambling activity when they acquired him from Charlotte in January 2024, multiple sources tell Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Rozier was arrested Thursday by the FBI as part of a federal investigation into illegal sports betting, jeopardizing his basketball future and raising plenty of questions about what the move means for the team. Without action from commissioner Adam Silver, Rozier and his expiring $26.6MM salary will remain on Miami’s roster for the rest of the season.

The NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity regarding Rozier 10 months before the trade took place, but the league has a policy of not informing its teams about such matters, according to Jackson and Chiang.

No warning was given to the Heat before the league approved the trade, which sent veteran guard Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick to Charlotte, multiple sources told the authors. Their sources also said Hornets officials didn’t share information about the probe with the Heat, and Mike Cristaldi, Charlotte’s chief communications officer, refused to say whether they were aware of the allegations against Rozier.

The Heat didn’t learn that Rozier was being investigated by the NBA and FBI until it was reported by the Wall Street Journal after the trade was complete, according to the authors.

They describe the team as being in “information gathering mode” and still undecided on whether it will appeal to the league in an effort to get back the draft pick that’s now owned by the Hornets. That pick will convey to Charlotte in 2027 if the Heat reach the playoffs that season. Otherwise, it becomes unprotected in 2028.

Two spokesmen from the league office refused to explain to Jackson and Chiang why the NBA doesn’t inform all its teams when unusual betting activity is detected or whenever it opens an investigation into a player. The authors point out that having that information might have dissuaded Miami from trying to trade for Rozier.

They add that the NBA has declined to say whether Silver would consider voiding Rozier’s contract before the case is decided in federal court. The team currently can’t sign a replacement for Rozier or fill its open roster spot without moving into luxury tax territory. If Rozier were to be expelled from the NBA, the Heat would be about $28MM below the tax threshold, giving them plenty of room to sign two players and fill out their roster.

Jackson and Chiang point out that having the draft pick returned would provide a lot more flexibility in trade talks, giving Miami tradable first-rounders in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032. The team is currently limited to trading no more than two future picks (2030 and 2032).

The NBA office denied a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that the league ordered Rozier to be benched after he left the game that prompted the investigation, the authors add. A league spokesman said Rozier suffered a foot injury that was confirmed by an MRI.

2025 NBA G League Draft Results

October 25th, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2025/26 season on Saturday afternoon. Players who signed NBAGL contracts and whose rights weren’t already controlled by a team were part of the draft pool.

Affiliates from all 30 NBA teams took part in the draft, along with the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes.

Dillon Jones, who was a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, was selected No. 1 overall by South Bay, which is the Lakers’ G League affiliate.

The 23-year-old small forward was drafted out of Weber State by Oklahoma City with the 26th pick last summer. He appeared in 54 games as a rookie, but only played 10.2 minutes per night and averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

The Thunder traded Jones to Washington in June to clear a spot on their roster. The Wizards waived him last weekend and still owe him $2,753,280 for the remainder of the season.

Drafting Jones to South Bay won’t prevent another NBA team from signing him, since holding a player’s G League rights doesn’t mean teams control his NBA rights. However, it will give the Lakers a chance to take a first-hand look at him before potentially offering a standard or two-way contract.

With the second pick, the Osceola Magic selected Tyler Smith, who lost a battle for the Bucks’ final roster spot and was waived last Sunday. The 20-year-old power forward was expected to draw interest as a two-way target, but it doesn’t appear any offers have materialized yet. Smith, who started his career with the now-defunct G League Ignite, was taken with the 33rd pick in last year’s NBA draft.

The Wizards’ affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, had three of the next four picks, selecting Ace Baldwin at No. 3, Nolan Hickman at No. 5 and Cam Carter at No. 6.

Two notable second-generation players were selected in today’s draft. Jamal Mashburn Jr. was taken at No. 8 by the Westchester Knicks, and Jabri Abdur-Rahim, whose father Shareef serves as G League president, went to the Stockton Kings at No. 29.

Here are the full 2025 G League draft results:

Round One:

South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Dillon Jones
Osceola Magic (Magic): Tyler Smith
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Ace Baldwin
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Adama Bal
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Nolan Hickman
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Cam Carter
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Stefan Todorovic
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jamal Mashburn Jr.
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Ethan Taylor
Raptors 905 (Raptors): A.J. Hoggard
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Kario Oquendo
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Kenan Blackshear
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Vinicius da Silva (Brazil)
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Josh Cohen
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Cearius Warren (St. Thomas University)
Osceola Magic (Magic): Ebenezer Dowuona
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): John Harge (Adams State University)
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Tray Jackson
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jaden Seymour
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Chris Mantis
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Tyrin Lawrence
Raptors 905 (Raptors): JP Pegues
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Olisa Akonobi
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): No pick
South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Selton Miguel
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): O’Mar Stanley
Noblesville Boom (Pacers): Ben Coupet Jr.
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Des Watson
Stockton Kings (Kings): Jabri Abdur-Rahim
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Carter Whitt
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): J.Z. Zaher

Round Two:

Texas Legends (Mavericks): Sean Durugordon
Stockton Kings (Kings): No pick
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jermaine Couisnard
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Dischon Thomas
Valley Suns (Suns): Bryce Thompson
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Darius Maddox
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Derrin Boyd
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Pierre Crockrell II
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Markeese Hastings
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Vance Jackson
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Chandler Baker
Osceola Magic (Magic): No pick
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Onno Steger
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Donte Ingram
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Kobe Webster
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Tyler Hawkins (Barry University)
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Jason Hubbard (Taylor University)
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): T.J. Weeks
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): No pick
Noblesville Boom (Pacers): Ahmaad Rorie
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Nicolas Timberlake
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): No pick
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): No pick
Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Franco Miller Jr.
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ray Harrison
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): No pick
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Fousseyni Drame
Osceola Magic (Magic): No pick

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Tip-Off Tournament getting underway on November 7. The Tip-Off Tournament will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 19.

Silver ‘Deeply Disturbed’ By Federal Gambling Indictments

October 24th, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to Amazon Prime reporter Cassidy Hubbarth during the first quarter of Friday’s matchup between Boston and New York (Twitter video link), commissioner Adam Silver said he was “deeply disturbed” by the allegations in Thursday’s federal gambling indictments, which resulted in the arrests of Heat guard Terry Rozier, Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA guard and coach Damon Jones, among others.

“My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said. “There is nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. And so I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”

Word broke back in January that federal prosecutors in New York were investigating Rozier as part of a probe into illegal sports betting. Investigators were specifically looking at a game that took place on March 23, 2023, when the veteran guard was still a member of the Hornets.

Ahead of that game, one bettor reportedly placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes on the “unders” on Rozier-related prop bets at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, raising alarms about potential suspicious activity. At the same time, there was a rush on multiple sportsbooks in New Orleans of under bets on Rozier props. Sportsbooks and the NBA were alerted, and some books stopped taking bets related to Rozier’s performance that day.

After recording five points, four rebounds and two assists in 9:34 of action in the first quarter, Rozier exited the game during a timeout and didn’t return, citing a foot issue. All 30 of those “under” prop bets won as a result of the abbreviated outing, and Rozier didn’t play the final eight games of the 2022/23 season due to the injury.

Silver was asked about the NBA’s investigation into Rozier, who was — at the time — cleared by the league to continue playing, despite the suspicious circumstances (stories via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic, and Tim Bontemps of ESPN).

“So what happened was, because bets were placed through legalized legal betting companies, they picked up aberrational behavior around a particular game in March of 2023,” Silver said. “And so it was brought to our attention by the regulators and the betting companies. We then looked into that situation and were very transparent about it. And while there was that aberrational betting, we, frankly, couldn’t find anything.

“Terry at the time cooperated, he gave the league office his phone, he sat down for an interview, and we ultimately concluded there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behavior. We then worked directly with law enforcement — as they said at the press conference, the league has been cooperating. That was obviously almost two years ago.

“The federal government has subpoena power,” Silver continued. “[It] can threaten to put people in jail, can do all kinds of things that the league office can’t do. So we’ve been working with them since then. And, of course, what they announced yesterday was an indictment.

“Two and a half years later, he still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously it doesn’t look good, but he’s been put on administrative leave, and so it is a balance here between protecting people’s rights and investigating. And as I said, we’ve been working with the government, and they have extraordinary powers the league office doesn’t have.”

The illegal gambling investigations have overshadowed the start of the 2025/26 season, which Silver acknowledged.

“I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation,” Silver said during the in-game interview.

Heat Notes: Rozier, Cap, Offense, Fontecchio

October 24th, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Terry Rozier‘s arrest, the Heat had a team meeting on Thursday to “address things,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said on Friday, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required). While Spoelstra noted that the team has learned how to “compartmentalize” off-court issues and focus on the next game, Rozier was popular in the locker room and teammates couldn’t help but notice his absence at Friday’s shootaround.

“You support him, through and through. That’s our brother at the end of the day,” big man Bam Adebayo said. “It felt kind of weird in him not being here, actually, because he’s usually the first person I get to talk to in the morning, and he brings that great energy to our team.”

Rozier is facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering after being accused of removing himself from a March 2023 game (when he was a member of the Hornets) so that several “under” prop bets would hit. While Spoelstra and Rozier’s teammates didn’t address the specifics of the case on Friday, they uniformly expressed support for the veteran guard, who has been placed on leave by the NBA.

“I mean obviously we can’t comment on the situation,” Spoelstra said. “But Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us. He’s had a real positive impact on our locker room, and the staff and players alike, and that includes last year, when he wasn’t in the rotation oftentimes. We send our thoughts and our care for him as he goes through this.”

Here’s more on the Heat, including additional notes on the Rozier situation:

Because Rozier has been placed on leave rather than being suspended or having his contract voided, he’ll continue to occupy a Heat roster spot and will continue to be paid his $26.6MM salary for the time being, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald outlines. The Heat would only gain immediate cap relief if the NBA decided to void Rozier’s contract, which would remove it from the team’s books.
Jackson posits (via Twitter) that the Heat were “wronged” by the NBA, which looked into unusual betting activity related to that March 2023 game at the time and found no wrongdoing by Rozier. The Heat reportedly weren’t informed of that investigation before trading for the veteran guard in January 2024. While Jackson stresses that he doesn’t expect the team to take any extreme measures like suing the NBA, he suggests it remains to be seen whether the Heat will seek some sort of restitution.
The Heat couldn’t pull out a victory over the Magic in Wednesday’s season opener, but Spoelstra was encouraged by how an offense that looked faster and more efficient than last season’s unit, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I don’t want to take too much of a moral victory on this,” Spoelstra said. “I just see a blueprint for us, and I think there are some things that are going to get better and better as we spend more time with each other.”
In a wide-ranging conversation with Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, new Heat forward Simone Fontecchio spoke about his transition from the EuroLeague to the NBA, what he thinks his role will be in Miami, and several other topics. According to Fontecchio, continuing to improve defensively is a priority for him this season. “I don’t like to be looked at as a casual European guy that doesn’t play defense, just to shoot, you know?” he said. “I never liked that. And I think I was never like that. So hopefully, I’ll keep working on that, keep getting better and better, and people will start to realize that too.”

Latest On Arrests Of Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier

October 23rd, 2025 at 11:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Although he was not indicted in the illegal sports betting case that resulted in the arrest of Heat guard Terry Rozier, it’s clear that a person matching the description of Chauncey Billups is accused of providing insider information about the Trail Blazers planning to go into tank mode ahead of a game on March 24, 2023, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com.

Billups was arrested on Thursday in a separate but related case involving an illegal poker operation tied to the mafia. He was arraigned on one count of wire-fraud conspiracy and one count of money-laundering conspiracy in federal court in Portland and was released under certain conditions, including having his travel restricted to Oregon, Colorado (his home state), and New York (where his trial will take place) writes Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian.

The 49-year-old coach, who has been placed on leave by the NBA, will also be required to pay a “substantial” bond, surrender his passport, is prohibited from contacting his co-defendants and is barred from engaging in any form of gambling-related activities, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link).

Billups’ next court date is November 24 in Brooklyn, New York.

Chris Heywood, the attorney who represented Billups at Thursday’s arraignment, released a statement saying his client disputes the charges. It’s unclear if Billups will have a different lawyer for the actual case, a league source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).

“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” Heywood said in the statement. “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.

“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to. Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”

Rozier, who was also placed on leave by the league, faced his own arraignment in Florida today. The 31-year-old had to put up his $6MM mansion as collateral for bond, according to Mike Valente of CBS Central Florida (Twitter link), and was conditionally released under similar stipulations as Billups.

Here are a few more items of interest related to the cases:

While the arrests of Billups and Rozier have understandably generated the most attention, Damon Jones‘ involvement may be the most problematic for the league, a high-ranking team executive tells Mannix. The former NBA guard and coach was allegedly involved in both cases, including for tipping off a bettor about the injury status of a Lakers player that Dave McMenamin of ESPN confirms was LeBron James. To be clear, James has not been accused of any wrongdoing and was unaware of his colleague’s gambling activities, a source tells McMenamin.
Several ESPN insiders and three SI.com authors explain more details of the investigations and the alleged involvements of Rozier, Billups and Jones.
The Magic were mentioned in the illegal betting probe. In a statement to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), the team said it has “no indication that any current players were involved and we have not been contacted by the authorities.”
According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the Heat were unaware of Rozier’s involvement in the illegal sports betting case — which allegedly took place when he was a member of the Hornets — when they traded for him several months later. Miami was also not aware of any NBA investigation into the matter, Jackson adds.

Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups Placed On Leave By NBA

October 23rd, 2025 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

Heat guard Terry Rozier and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups have been placed on immediate leave from their respective teams, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the league said in a statement. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”

As we detailed in a pair of stories earlier today, Rozier and Billups were arrested on Thursday morning as part of a pair of separate but related federal investigations into illegal gambling. Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones was also among those arrested.

Law enforcement officials, including U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr., stated during a press conference on Thursday that Rozier and Jones were among six individuals arrested in connection with a scheme to use insider information to make illegal bets on NBA games. Billups and Jones were among 31 individuals arrested in connection with a plot to rig illegal, mafia-run poker games.

A total of 34 arrests were made on Thursday, with three people – including Jones – linked to both investigations. Those arrests are the result of a multi-year, wide-ranging series of probes into illegal gambling. According to Nocella, the NBA has cooperated with the investigations, per Oskar Garcia of The Athletic.

Rozier and Billups are both reportedly being charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering and will appear in federal court on Thursday in Florida and Oregon, respectively.

Here are several more details on the cases, from the Department of Justice’s indictment:

Rozier is accused of telling co-defendant Deniro Laster that he would remove himself during the first quarter of a game on March 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Hornets, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. According to the DOJ, Laster was paid $100K for sharing that information with another defendant, Marves Fairley. The tip was then allegedly shared with others, with a total of $259K in prop bets wagered by the group on Rozier going “under” several statistical benchmarks. The indictment states that winnings were delivered to Rozier’s home, according to Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic.
According to the indictment, an unnamed co-conspirator told Eric Earnest, another of the defendants, that the Trail Blazers were going into tank mode ahead of a game on March 24, 2023 and that a certain player would sit out, according to Vorkunov. While that player wasn’t specifically identified, Blazers guard Damian Lillard missed that March 24 game due to a calf issue and was shut down a few days later for the rest of the season. To be clear, if Lillard was the player in question, it just means that information about his status was shared, not that he was in any way involved in sharing it.
Along similar lines, Jones allegedly informed an unnamed co-conspirator prior to the Lakers‘ game vs. Milwaukee on February 9, 2023 that a specific Laker would miss the game and that the co-conspirator should bet on the Bucks. As Mike Prada of The Athletic writes, LeBron James was ruled out for that game (and, eventually, the next two) due to ankle soreness. Jones wasn’t a Lakers employee at the time, but had access to team spaces, including planes and locker rooms, because he worked with James, his former Cavs teammate, says Dan Woike of The Athletic. James wasn’t aware that Jones was sharing information about his playing status, a source tells The Athletic.
There were also bets illegally placed ahead of a Magic game on April 6, 2023, according to the DOJ (Twitter link via Vorkunov), after one of the defendants who had a relationship with a Magic player learned that Orlando wouldn’t be playing its starters that day.
As for the allegations against Billups, Nocella described him as one of the celebrity “face cards” that organizers used to attract “fish” (potential victims) to play in rigged poker games. The indictment states that the so-called “face cards” in those games “received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation.” Various technology – including a rigged shuffling machine, X-ray tables, and special eyeglasses – was allegedly used to rig the games.
According to David Purdum of ESPN, prosecutors claimed that Billups helped organize and played in games in Las Vegas in April 2019 that used a rigged shuffling machine. He was also allegedly wired $50K after participating in a rigged game in October 2020.

Heat’s Terry Rozier Arrested In Relation To Gambling Probe

October 23rd, 2025 at 9:28am CST by Luke Adams

9:28 am: Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty has shared the following statement with NBC News:

“A long time ago, we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication. They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel.

“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self-surrender, they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case.

“They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA, and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”

Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones has also been arrested as a result of the investigation, per NBC News.

Rozier, Jones, and the four other individuals connected to the illegal sports betting case have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.

Jones has also been connected to the separate (but related) investigation into illegal poker games with mafia ties, Mannix adds (via Twitter). Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in connection with that case, as we detail in a separate story.

8:09 am: Rozier is among six people being charged on Thursday for a scheme to use inside information to place unlawful wagers on basketball games, according to Aaron Katersky of ABC News.

6:52 am: Heat guard Terry Rozier has been arrested by the FBI as a result of a federal investigation into illegal sports betting, according to investigative reporter and podcaster Pablo Torre (Twitter link).

Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, will be joined by officials from the FBI, Homeland Security, and New York City police for a press conference on Thursday at approximately 10:00 am Eastern time to discuss the latest developments in the probe into illegal sports betting and poker games, including numerous arrests.

Word broke back in January that federal prosecutors in New York were investigating Rozier as part of a probe into illegal sports betting. Investigators were specifically looking at a game that took place on March 23, 2023, when the veteran guard was still a member of the Hornets.

Ahead of that game, one bettor reportedly placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes on the “unders” on Rozier-related prop bets at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, raising alarms about potential suspicious activity. At the same time, there was a rush on multiple sportsbooks in New Orleans of under bets on Rozier props. Sportsbooks and the NBA were alerted, and some books stopped taking bets related to Rozier’s performance that day.

After recording five points, four rebounds and two assists in 9:34 of action in the first quarter, Rozier exited the game during a timeout and didn’t return, citing a foot issue. All 30 of those “under” prop bets won as a result of the abbreviated outing, and Rozier didn’t play the final eight games of the 2022/23 season due to the injury.

ESPN’s Shams Charania said during a TV appearance in June that Rozier had been “cleared, as of right now.” However, subsequent reporting indicated that wasn’t accurate, and that investigators were still looking at the 31-year-old, even if he wasn’t the specific target of the probe.

Rozier was permitted to continue playing for the Heat last season while the investigation was ongoing, but he had one of the worst years of his career, averaging 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 25.9 minutes per game across 64 outings while shooting just 39.1% from the floor and 29.5% from beyond the three-point line. He didn’t see any action in Miami’s season opener on Wednesday.

If Rozier were to be banned by the NBA as a result of this investigation, his contract would be voided and his expiring $26.6MM salary would come off the Heat’s books, notes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The federal investigation into illegal gambling is part of the same government probe which saw former Raptors big man Jontay Porter plead guilty to a federal felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following an investigation, Porter was banned from the NBA for violating league rules “by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”

Free agent sharpshooter Malik Beasley was under investigation as part of the same federal probe, but there has been no indication yet that he has either been arrested or cleared. If he were to be cleared by investigators – and by the NBA – Beasley would immediately become the most popular target on the free agent market.