Terry Rozier’s legal team is fighting to have the betting case against him dismissed. The former Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets guard’s lawyers believe that a text message sent by a co-defendant in the case should be enough to prove that he was unaware of any illegal gambling scheme.
Terry Rozier’s Attorneys File Motion To Have Gambling Case Against Ex-NBA Guard Dismissed
Rozier is facing four federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, sports bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and honest services fraud. His lawyers believe that a text message sent by a co-defendant in March 2023 that read, “Don’t tell chum [Rozier’s nickname] bout the bet,” is proof that he was unaware of any alleged bets.
They filed a motion to dismiss two of the four charges against Rozier on Friday, claiming the texts showed that Rozier did not know about the bets. The 32-year-old had previously filed to have the other two charges against him dismissed in December, but a decision on that has not yet been made.
“Terry Rozier is innocent. He is a basketball player, not a gambler. He never bet on anything, never agreed to underperform, never did underperform, and did not know that anyone was wagering on his statistics in the Charlotte Hornets’ March 23, 2023, game… This should end the case. One does not hide a bet from the person who supposedly sold it,” Rozier’s attorneys wrote in the filing.
Journalist Pablo Torre shared a video update about the filing on social media.
NEW: Terry Rozier argues this unearthed text message should “end the case” in his NBA gambling saga…
“Dont tell [Rozier] bout the bet”@PabloTorre asks: What did Scary Terry know? And when — if at all — did he know it? pic.twitter.com/zwc3JhDHvp
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) July 31, 2026
The co-defendant and Rozier’s childhood friend, Deniro Laster, is accused of profiting off insider information from Rozier. The text was allegedly sent six days after Rozier left a game against the New Orleans Pelicans early.
However, federal prosecutors filed a motion in response, asking the judge to deny the request by claiming that they had evidence from multiple sources that this text message did not “relate to sports gambling.” They claim that Rozier reportedly agreed to take a $100,000 bribe to leave the Hornets-Pelicans game early so gamblers could win prop bets.
Rozier was arrested in October 2025 as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling in the NBA. He was placed on administrative leave after the arrest and was later waived by the Heat in April 2026.
Despite the charges against him, Rozier continues to maintain his innocence and also remains determined to resurrect his NBA career. His attorneys believe that this text proves his innocence. The trial is scheduled for February 2027.
