While the NBA did not have sufficient evidence to fine or suspend Terry Rozier — and he continued playing — the NBA never cleared him or closed its investigation into his actions. The league’s investigation into Michael Beasley, also for alleged betting irregularities, also remains open.
Rozier has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from a March 23, 2023, game when Rozier played for the Hornets. The federal indictment alleges that Rozier told his friend and co-defendant De’Niro Laster that he would remove himself early from that game with an injury, and Laster (along with other co-defendants) bet big on Rozier’s prop bet unders (which all hit when Rozier took himself out of the game).
Rozier’s agent told NBC News in a statement that, “Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case.” However, Rozier was never cleared — the league did not find sufficient evidence to conclude he violated league rules — and the investigation was never closed, something reported by the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast and confirmed by NBC Sports. What one source told Torre sums it up:
“Terry’s investigation was never closed, so he was not cleared of anything. Us not being able to find something is not the same as cleared. It is true we did not find a violation of our rules, but we did not close our investigation.”
The same is true of the Malik Beasley investigation, which also involves odd betting patterns around prop bets. However, in this case, it occurred in 2024, when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA has an open investigation, and while Beasley’s attorneys said he was no longer the target (primary focus) of a federal investigation, he was a subject in it. Beasley has not been charged with any crimes at this point (but the fact that the investigation is active is why he is not on an NBA roster this season, teams are not taking the risk).
Rozier also was the subject of a federal investigation and was arrested last week after a federal indictment was unsealed naming him and more than 30 others. He is currently on leave from the Miami Heat and is not receiving pay, although the players’ union is fighting the pay issue, arguing that it violates the collective bargaining agreement. Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, said his client “is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight,” and planned to fight the charges.
The NBA’s investigation (which is being handled by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the same firm running the Clippers/Aspiration/Kawhi Leonard investigation) did not find any hard evidence — a “smoking gun” — in either case. However, federal investigators and prosecutors have far more tools available to them (the NBA can’t tap phones, for example) and also can use the threat of jail time to get a suspect to talk.
The Pablo Torre report from Thursday also touches on Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who was arrested on a separate (but in parts overlapping) federal indictment tied to rigged, illegal poker games. Sources described Billups making some high-risk, almost amateur poker decisions — such as going all-in with a “gutshot draw” hand (where the player needs a specific card to complete a straight), then hitting it on the river (fifth and final card turned up for the table) — and winning a pot of approximately $200,000. Billups’ attorney said his client plans to fight the charges against him.
The Billups and Rozier cases will be decided in court, but that is a process that will take months — possibly a year or more — and until then, they are on leave from their teams.