Jones expected to plead guilty in widening NBA gambling case

Former NBA guard and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to change his plea to guilty later this month in a federal gambling case that has sent another jolt through the league’s orbit and raised more questions about the line between insider access and outright corruption.

A change-of-plea hearing for Jones is scheduled for April 28 in federal court in Brooklyn, according to court filings. If that plea goes forward, Jones would become the first person known to plead guilty in a sweeping investigation that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including alleged mob associates and several figures tied to professional basketball.

For a sport that guards its competitive integrity as fiercely as any in the country, that is the part that lands hardest. This is not just another legal story with a familiar headline. It is a case that touches locker rooms, injury information, private conversations, and the trust that underpins every game, every wager, and every public report.

Jones at the center of two federal cases

Jones, 49, had previously pleaded not guilty to separate indictments accusing him of involvement in two different schemes: one involving rigged poker games, the other involving nonpublic injury information tied to NBA players, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Federal prosecutors charged Jones with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in both matters. He remains free on bail.

When reached for comment by ABC News, Jones’ attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, said, “He is not cooperating.” Prosecutors declined comment, according to ESPN’s reporting. That phrase alone leaves plenty open to interpretation, but the court filing itself is clear enough. Jones is no longer standing where he was months ago. A not-guilty plea has given way to a scheduled hearing to change course.

The injury information involving LeBron James and Anthony Davis

According to prosecutors, Jones sold or attempted to sell nonpublic information to bettors about the health status of James and Davis while Jones was connected to the Los Angeles Lakers as an unofficial assistant during the 2022-23 season.

One of the most striking allegations centers on a Feb. 9, 2023, game between the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Prosecutors say Jones texted an unnamed co-conspirator with a blunt instruction: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.” At that point, James was not listed on the Lakers’ injury report, according to prosecutors. He was later ruled out because of a lower-body injury, and the Lakers lost 115-106.

That allegation gets to the heart of why this case matters beyond one defendant. Injury reports are not background noise in modern sports. They move betting markets, shape public expectations, and affect competitive preparation. If someone with inside access is leaking information for profit, the damage travels fast.

A second allegation involves Davis and a Lakers game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 15, 2024. Prosecutors say sports bettor Marves Fairley paid Jones about $2,500 for a tip that Davis would be limited because of an injury.

Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on Oklahoma City to win, according to prosecutors. But the information was wrong. Davis played 38 minutes, finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds, and helped lead the Lakers to a 112-105 win. Afterward, prosecutors say Fairley demanded his $2,500 back.

There is something almost grimly revealing about that detail. In scandals like this, the mechanics can seem cold and technical until moments like that break through. Then it sounds less like a sophisticated edge, and more like desperation, finger-pointing and a deal gone bad.

Jones also accused in alleged rigged poker operation

The sports betting allegations are only half the picture. Prosecutors also say Jones was part of a poker scheme in which former NBA players were used to attract unsuspecting participants into games rigged with altered shuffling machines.

According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for one game in the Hamptons and was instructed on how to avoid getting caught. Prosecutors say the people running the scheme told him to pay attention to certain co-conspirators and, when uncertain, to fold. Jones’ response, according to prosecutors: “y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”

That quote stands out now for reasons that have little to do with swagger. It reads differently once it is pulled from a federal indictment. What may once have sounded like confidence now feels like evidence. Prosecutors further allege that the poker operation shared proceeds with members of the Gambino, Genovese, and Bonanno crime families. Court documents say those groups helped enforce debts and protect the scheme through acts including assault, extortion, and robbery.

Jones’ basketball career makes the case hit harder

That this case involves Jones adds another layer of weight. He was not a fringe name. He played 11 NBA seasons for 10 teams, earned more than $20 million, and carved out a long career as a respected shooter. He was teammates with James in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008 and later worked with the Cavaliers as a shooting consultant and assistant coach. He was also on staff when Cleveland won the 2016 NBA title.

Jones once described himself as “the best shooter in the world.” He played every regular-season game for three straight seasons from 2003 to 2006, a mark of reliability in a league that values availability almost as much as talent. That history is part of why the case feels so unsettling. Stories like this are always jarring, but they land differently when they involve someone who spent years inside NBA buildings, around stars, coaches, and private team information.

What Jones’ expected guilty plea means next

If Jones formally pleads guilty on April 28, it will mark the first major turning point in a case that has been sprawling and, at times, surreal. It would not end the investigation, and it would not answer every question about who knew what and when. But it would represent the clearest admission, yet, that federal prosecutors have more than speculation.

For the NBA, the broader concern remains obvious. Betting is more embedded in the sport than ever before, and with that comes more scrutiny, more vulnerability, and less room for gray areas. The system depends on trust. Once insiders start treating information like a commodity, every late scratch, every sudden line move, and every unexplained rumor gets viewed through a darker lens. And now Jones, a former player who once knew exactly where he fit in the game, is at the center of a story that reminds the league how fragile that trust can be.