Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Get Bad News Amid Gambling Probe
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, both Miami Heat Guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups will be leaving their bank accounts a little lighter while they’re on indefinite leave from their respective teams. Their paychecks? Frozen solid and tucked away, waiting for the FBI to wrap up its investigation into this gambling mess.
For Rozier, we’re talking about $26.6 million this season. That’s not chump change. The good news? If he’s cleared and the league lets him back in, he’ll get every penny he’s owed. The bad news? That’s a pretty big “if” right now.
The Tax Lien That Won’t Quit
But wait, there’s more drama. Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, came out swinging on Wednesday. He claims that a federal tax lien filed against Rozier back in November 2023 has been satisfied. The IRS had slapped him with an “unpaid balance” of $8,218,211.70 for the 2021 tax year, which sounds absolutely terrifying until you hear Trusty’s side of the story.
“There was never a debt of $8 million,” Trusty said in an email to The Associated Press. “Out of his total taxes owed in 2021 ($8 million), he actually owed $9000.”
Nine thousand dollars. That’s it. According to Trusty, Rozier paid that amount, but the lien is still hanging around at the local courthouse, waiting to be officially removed. Broward County officials haven’t commented yet, and an IRS revenue officer apparently didn’t pick up the phone. Shocking, right?
How We Got Here
Let’s rewind for a second. Rozier, Billups, and about three dozen other individuals were arrested last week on gambling-related charges detailed in two separate indictments. Federal officials allege that Rozier worked with associates to help them win bets based on his performance, or lack thereof, in a game on March 23, 2023, when he was still with the Charlotte Hornets.
The charges sound eerily similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before Commissioner Adam Silver showed him the door in 2024. Rozier played sparingly in that March 2023 game, and gamblers who bet the “under” on his stats walked away with fatter wallets. Coincidence? The FBI doesn’t think so.
Rozier didn’t play in the final eight games of that 2022-23 season, citing a foot injury. The Hornets were already eliminated from playoff contention and had a roster that looked like a MASH unit, so nobody really batted an eye at the time.
The NBA’s Embarrassing Miss
Here’s where it gets awkward for the league. Sportsbooks detected unusual betting patterns on that Charlotte game and immediately flagged it to the NBA’s attention. The league investigated but couldn’t find enough evidence to conclude that Rozier broke any rules. Why? Because, unlike the FBI, the NBA doesn’t have subpoena power. They can ask nicely, but they can’t exactly kick down doors and demand answers.
Now, with federal charges on the table, the NBA is reviewing how sensitive information, like injury reports that get updated hourly, should be handled going forward. Because apparently, letting potentially compromised players have access to information that can move betting lines wasn’t the best idea. Who knew?
Congressional Attention
This situation has gotten so messy that even Congress wants answers. Senator Ted Cruz, the Republican chairman of the Commerce Committee, and Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on that panel, have both written to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver seeking details about “how the NBA investigated and handled these allegations” and why the league allowed Rozier to continue playing.
It is a fair question. The NBA knew something smelled fishy back in 2023, but let Rozier keep lacing up his sneakers anyway. Now, with the FBI involved, those questions are getting a lot harder to dodge.
What This Means For the Heat
For Miami, Rozier’s salary still counts against their cap even though he’s not suiting up. That $26.6 million figure sits there like an unwelcome houseguest, preventing the Heat from signing a 15th player to their active roster without exceeding the luxury tax. So not only is Rozier not contributing on the court, but his ghost contract is also handcuffing the team’s flexibility.
Rozier, who’s 31, hasn’t appeared in a single game this season. The Heat placed him on leave immediately after his arrest, and now they’re stuck in financial limbo while the legal system does its thing.
The Waiting Game
Both Rozier and Billups are now in a holding pattern, watching their paychecks pile up in escrow while lawyers and federal investigators sort through evidence. If they’re cleared, they’ll get their money. If not, well, they might want to start budgeting differently.
For now, it’s a reminder that even in a league where players and coaches make millions, one bad decision, or alleged bad decision, can make those millions disappear.
