A 2023 NBA game between the Magic and Cavaliers was flagged by federal prosecutors in an indictment revealed Thursday against Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and more than 30 other people.
Rozier, who did not play in Wednesday’s season-opener between the Magic and Heat at Kia Center, was arrested Thursday morning in Orlando after he was accused of being a part a wide-ranging scheme that involved collaborating with several defendants to fix bets by using confidential information about the league and its teams.
The indictment alleges the scheme included some games that did not involve Rozier, who at the time played for the Charlotte Hornets. One of the games mentioned was an April 6, 2023 matchup between the Magic and Cavaliers.
According to the indictment, a person identified as “Co-Conspirator 1” (who was at times an NBA player) leveraged Co-Conspirator 1’s personal relationship with one of Orlando’s “regularly starting players,” to obtain non-public information about the game.
Hours before the game, the Magic player, who is unnamed, told Co-Conspirator 1 that the Magic would not be playing its entire regular starting lineup that night, the indictment said. Orlando was originally favored to win by nine points but the betting lines changed once it was publicly known the Magic weren’t playing their starters.
Before the betting lines changed, however, an associate of Co-Conspirator 1 placed an $11,000 wager that the Cavaliers would cover the game’s initial spread of 9.5 points and later won the bet, since Cleveland prevailed by 24 points.
It is not clear from the indictment whether the Magic player knew how the information would be used. Neither the Magic nor the player mentioned in the indictment are accused of any criminal activity.
The Magic said in a statement to the Orlando Sentinel that the team is aware of the alleged report. A team spokesperson it has “no indication that any current players were involved and we have not been contacted by the authorities.”
“All members of the Magic organization complete mandatory NBA gambling education and compliance training each season,’ the spokesperson said. “Integrity and adherence to league rules are of the utmost importance.”
In addition to Rozier’s arrest, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also arrested Thursday and charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons that were backed by La Cosa Nostra Crime families, according to the Associated Press.
Billups and Rozier have been placed on immediate leave from their teams, according to the NBA. The league said it is cooperating with authorities.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said in a statement.
The Magic return to Kia Center on Friday when they host the Hawks on the first night of a home back-to-back. Orlando faces the Bulls the next night.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Originally Published: October 23, 2025 at 5:27 PM EDT