Trail Blazers head coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier have been arrested in a sweeping FBI probe into illegal sports betting and underground poker games, according to ESPN.
Former Cavaliers sharpshooter Damon Jones was also taken into custody, NBC reported, as federal agents move on what they call “numerous arrests in illegal sports betting and poker schemes.” FBI Director Kash Patel and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are expected to hold a Thursday morning press conference to lay out the explosive details.
Sources told The Post that Billups, 49, faces charges tied to an illegal poker operation allegedly connected to organized crime. The arrest came just hours after Billups coached the Blazers to a 118-114 loss to the Timberwolves in their season opener. The five-time All-Star and NBA champion, who took over Portland’s bench in 2021, has a 117-212 record as head coach.
Rozier, 31, was already on investigators’ radar for suspicious betting activity during his stint with the Charlotte Hornets — specifically a March 2023 game against the Pelicans.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said earlier this year. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
During that March 23 matchup, Rozier logged just 9 minutes and 36 seconds before leaving with a supposed foot injury — his final game of the season. He posted five points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal before exiting.
At the time, one X user claimed they’d been “tipped off” that Rozier would exit early — a bombshell that sent prop bets flying. Sportsbooks reportedly saw a flood of wagers on Rozier’s “Under” for that game, forcing some to halt further betting.
Rozier, who met multiple times with NBA and FBI officials in 2023, declined to comment when questioned in January. “On advice from counsel, I can’t answer any questions about that matter,” he said through his attorney, Jim Trusty.
The Miami guard was arrested Thursday morning at a hotel in Orlando, just a day after sitting out the Heat’s 125-121 loss to the Magic despite being listed as available. Rozier, now in the final season of a four-year, $96.3 million contract, joined Miami midway through last season after a four-year run in Charlotte.
Billups, meanwhile, was arrested in Oregon early Thursday, less than 24 hours after coaching his team to an opening day loss. The former Finals MVP spent his playing career with the Pistons, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Celtics, Raptors, and Knicks before being enshrined in the Hall of Fame last year.
The FBI’s latest crackdown threatens to upend the careers of two major NBA names — and could send shockwaves through a league already on edge over gambling scandals.
