Trail Blazers Coach and Heat Guard Face Gambling-Related Charges
The NBA has suspended Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier after their arrests in separate gambling-related criminal cases, CNBC confirmed Wednesday. Both men have been placed on leave, and their multi-million-dollar salaries are being withheld pending investigation.
The league’s disciplinary move follows their arrests last Thursday, part of a broader review by the NBA into betting activities intended to “protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues.”
Billups, 49, reportedly earned about $4.7 million for the 2024–25 season and signed a multi-year extension through 2026–27 in April. Rozier, 31, is earning $26.6 million this season. Both the Trail Blazers and the Heat declined to comment on the salary suspensions.
Separate Indictments Filed in Brooklyn Court
According to federal filings, Billups and Rozier were charged in separate indictments in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York.
Rozier’s indictment alleges that he participated in a betting conspiracy involving confidential NBA information. Prosecutors claim Rozier told a co-defendant in March 2023—while still with the Charlotte Hornets—that he would leave a game early due to a supposed injury.
Armed with that inside information, the defendants allegedly placed more than $200,000 in prop bets predicting Rozier would underperform. Many of those bets reportedly paid off when Rozier exited after just nine minutes of play. His attorney, Jim Trusty, rejected the allegations, stating: “Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
Billups Accused in Underground Poker Fraud Scheme
Billups, a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2024 and former Detroit Pistons star, faces charges related to his alleged role in an underground poker scam operated alongside suspected Mafia members. Prosecutors claim the group used cheating devices to defraud high-stakes players out of millions of dollars.
Billups’ lawyer, Chris Heywood, defended his client’s reputation, saying, “Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others.” The Trail Blazers coach has not yet entered a plea.
NBA Integrity Under Scrutiny
The scandal has sent shockwaves through the league at a time when professional sports are increasingly intertwined with legal sports betting. The NBA’s ongoing internal review is expected to broaden, with particular attention to player access to insider information and coaches’ involvement in gambling activities.
While the cases against Billups and Rozier remain separate, both highlight growing concerns about how gambling could impact the credibility of professional basketball. League officials have reiterated that any confirmed breach of integrity will be met with “zero tolerance.”
The two defendants remain on unpaid leave pending further legal proceedings and potential disciplinary action by the NBA.