The NBA offseason was already buzzing with controversy after revelations surfaced that the Los Angeles Clippers allegedly manipulated the salary cap to keep Kawhi Leonard’s contract intact, which was first dropped by journalist Pablo Torre.
Many believed that as the regular season tipped off, the storm would calm and the league could refocus on basketball. However, instead of peace, another scandal has rocked the NBA, and further revelations have been made.
What New Has Been Revealed Regarding the Current NBA Gambling Case?
If we see on October 23, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former player-turned-assistant coach Damon Jones were reportedly taken into federal custody, according to multiple outlets.
Nearly a week later, insider Shams Charania reported an immediate consequence for two of the most prominent figures of the case.
Both Rozier and Billups have been placed on leave of absence by their teams, and those leaves will be unpaid while the investigations are active. In other words, they are away from team duties and will not draw paychecks until further notice.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups will not be paid while on leave of absences from their teams, sources tell ESPN. Both of their paychecks are expected to be withheld and placed in escrow, pending outcome of FBI cases.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 29, 2025
According to federal prosecutors, Billups’ arrest stems from a string of high-stakes poker sessions that authorities allege were secretly manipulated by mafia-linked facilitators, siphoning at least $7 million from unsuspecting players.
Rozier’s case, investigators say, is different. Federal authorities are focusing on irregular wagering activity tied to one well-known sports bettor who allegedly placed roughly 30 prop bets centered on Rozier’s in-game performance during a single 2023 contest.
That game traces back to March 23, 2023, when Rozier, then with the Charlotte Hornets, faced the New Orleans Pelicans. He checked out a little past the nine-minute mark, citing a sore right foot, and finished with five points, which was well below his typical output during the 2022–23 campaign.
He did not suit up again that season, missing Charlotte’s final eight games. Investigators have flagged that matchup as a focal point, suggesting a potential link between Rozier’s early exit and a wave of successful wagers placed shortly before tip-off.
Rozier’s legal team has pushed back forcefully from the outset, insisting their client has done nothing wrong and expressing confidence he will be cleared. His attorney, Jim Trusty, told Fox News that his innocent client is being wrongly accused, criticizing what he described as a rush to judgment.
“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,” said Trusty during the interview.
This statement came shortly after ESPN reported that Rozier was facing an $8.2 million federal tax lien from the IRS in 2023 which is the same year of the alleged betting manipulation. The lien, filed in Broward County, Florida, reportedly followed multiple notices sent to Rozier’s residence.
Court records indicate Rozier was released on a bond secured by his $6 million Florida home. He was ordered to surrender his passport and any firearms and is barred from contacting individuals connected to the case.
Billups, meanwhile, must also surrender his passport, avoid all co-defendants, and abstain from any gambling-related activity until his next court date on November 24 in Brooklyn, New York.
The league and teams have moved swiftly with unpaid leaves, but the legal process will determine what comes next.
