The Athletic has live coverage of the U.S. federal betting investigation into NBA players.
NEW YORK — Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier have been arrested as part of a federal investigation into illegal betting activities, multiple sources briefed on the arrests told The Athletic.
Rozier, 31, was taken into custody in Orlando, where the Heat played on Wednesday night, the law enforcement official said. However, the official declined to specify the charges against him. Rozier’s agent, Aaron Turner, confirmed Rozier was arrested in relation to the federal probe.
Billups, 49, a Hall of Fame player before he became a coach, was arrested on Thursday, according to a federal law enforcement official and a league source.
Ex-Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones has also been arrested, according to a law enforcement source.
A news conference has been called for 10 a.m. local time in Brooklyn with FBI director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr., among others, to “announce details stemming from two indictments involving illegal gambling schemes.” It was not immediately known who else was taken into custody.
Rozier did not play in the Heat’s loss to Orlando on Wednesday because of a hamstring injury that kept him out of all of Miami’s preseason games. Billups was on the sideline for the Blazers’ loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.
Rozier and Billups will appear in federal court in Florida and Oregon later Thursday, according to the people briefed on the arrests.
Rozier has been under federal investigation for possibly manipulating his performance in a 2023 NBA game as part of an illegal sports gambling operation, the NBA previously confirmed to The Athletic.
Jim Trusty, Rozier’s lawyer, said in a statement: “We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. 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.”
The game and performance under scrutiny took place on March 23, 2023, when Rozier was still with the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier played just nine minutes and 34 seconds in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans and scored five points. Prior to the game against the Pelicans, Rozier averaged 35.3 minutes and 21.1 points per contest that season. At the time, the reason given for Rozier leaving the game early was a sore right foot. He did not play in any of the team’s eight remaining games that season.
In January, the NBA said it had conducted an investigation after being notified about unusual betting activity related to Rozier’s performance in that game, and “did not find a violation of NBA rules.”
“Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case,” Trusty’s statement added. “Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
Billups’ name had not previously been connected to any federal investigations into gambling. Wednesday’s game marked the start of his fifth season as coach of the Blazers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 2024 following a 17-year career in which he was a five-time All-Star and the 2004 NBA Finals MVP.
Jones, 49, played 11 NBA seasons and also spent years following his career as both an assistant coach and also personal shooting coach for LeBron James when James rejoined the Cavs in 2014. As a player with the Miami Heat and subsequently after his playing career was finished, Jones struggled with a gambling addiction that cost him large chunks of the millions he earned playing basketball, league sources said.
Rozier is the second NBA player known to be investigated by the federal government for possibly manipulating his play as part of a sports gambling scheme. Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter pleaded guilty in July 2024 to one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Five other men have been arrested and charged as part of a federal investigation into a gambling ring that Porter is alleged to have been a part of.
Porter was banned by the NBA last April after he was caught manipulating his performance in multiple games during the 2023-24 season.
The NBA has multiple business arrangements with major betting brands such as DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, and several of its teams host sportsbooks in their arenas, in which they are paid a percentage of the handle, which is the amount of money wagered.
Under commissioner Adam Silver, the NBA (in conjunction with the other pro leagues) has sought a federal sports betting law from Congress, but many lobbying efforts have not gained traction.
Today, sports betting is legal and regulated in 38 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.