NBA commissioner calls the issues surrounding the now-suspended player's acquisition by the Miami Heat before probe was known "unprecedented".
Speaking at the NBA Cup Finals this week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver indicated that the league may explore potential “satisfactory relief” for the Miami Heat over the gambling investigation concerning its suspended guard, Terry Rozier.
The Heat acquired Rozier in January 2024, approximately 10 months after suspicious betting patterns arose tied to his performance in a regular season game in 2023. While the NBA conducted an internal investigation into the 2023 matter, it determined that the veteran player did not violate league rules. Rozier, 31, has now been on unpaid leave from the Heat since his October arrest on money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges.
Silver spoke about the Rozier matter on Tuesday in his first press conference since a Brooklyn grand jury unsealed indictments against 34 defendants in a sweeping gambling probe. He made the comments on the same day that prosecutors sent a letter to the presiding judge alleging that Rozier is covering the legal fees of Deniro Laster, one of his co-defendants. The developments on opposite ends of the country provide the latest fireworks in a gambling case that has rocked the NBA.
Trade and cap implications
The Heat acquired Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets on 23 January 2024, in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a protected first-round pick. The trade occurred long after Rozier allegedly helped a betting syndicate profit from his plan to leave a game early.
During the 2022-23 season, Rozier prematurely left a game against the New Orleans Pelicans with an apparent foot injury. Rozier’s departure in the first quarter ensured that a series of bets that parlayed the “under” on his statistical performance would cash.
It is still unclear if the Heat had any knowledge of the NBA’s internal investigation involving Rozier at the time of the 2024 trade. The protected first-round pick the team gave up in the trade can vest as early as 2027. At Tuesday’s press conference, a reporter also inquired about the salary cap implications for the Heat. For the 2025-2026 season, Rozier’s salary represents about 17% of the team’s total cap allotment.
“This is an unprecedented situation. I’m sympathetic to the Heat and their fans,” Silver replied. “We’re going to try to work this out with them, but there is no obvious solution.”
Rozier pleaded not guilty to the gambling-related charges on 8 December in Brooklyn. On the same day, Laster appeared at a status conference in US vs Earnest, the government’s case alleging match manipulation in professional basketball.
Potential conflict of interest in Laster matter
Rozier is accused of informing Laster, a longtime friend, of his intentions to leave the March 2023 game early. In turn, Laster allegedly sold information on Rozier’s intended departure to multiple co-conspirators. Leveraging the inside information, those defendants wagered more than $200,000 on Rozier’s unders, prosecutors stated.
In a letter to US District Court Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall, prosecutors allege that Rozier is paying Laster’s legal fees, creating an unsustainable conflict of interest. In assessing recent comments from Rozier’s attorney, prosecutors believe that Rozier’s legal strategy will be to “inculpate” Laster at trial, meaning to blame him for the crime.
Jim Trusty, Rozier’s attorney, told NBC News that neither Rozier’s “generosity” toward a childhood friend, nor the representation of Laster, create any “ethical issues” in the case. Trusty acknowledged that Rozier had covered legal fees for Laster’s attorney, Evan Corcoran.
When a trial attorney attempts an “inculpatory legal strategy”, he is essentially introducing evidence that attempts to link a defendant to a crime. Rozier’s attorneys may cast blame on Laster for the player’s alleged involvement, based on the government’s letter this week.
The government cited an interview by Trusty with Fox News to buttress the point. The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York included portions of the interview in a letter to the judge.
“Confiding in a friend, a childhood friend, and saying, ‘Man, it’s the end of the season, we are out of the playoffs, I’ll sit early in this game,’ that’s not a crime. … That is confiding in a friend,” Trusty told Fox.
While prosecutors wrote that the government does not believe that any of the actions are “per se disqualifying”, they added that the government reserves the right to change its position. Corcoran was not available for comment.
Integrity at the forefront
Rozier is one of three NBA figures charged in the parallel cases in New York involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games. Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones are also facing charges.
Silver said in October that he is “deeply disturbed” by the allegations against the NBA figures. The NBA later wrote in a statement that more can be done to protect the integrity of its games. Commissioners from all four major pro leagues have stressed the importance of maintaining integrity in sports in light of the gambling-related indictments.
Silver is also cognisant that integrity concerns could negatively impact fan viewership. After news of the indictments became public, a survey reported by Sacred Heart University found that four of five US sports bettors were aware of the NBA scandal. Of the respondents, a comparable share (79.1%) reported that the events had impacted their trust in the integrity of the games.
“Fans definitely care. If this game isn’t viewed as being honest and the competition being at the highest integrity, over time we will lose our fan base,” Silver said. “I have no doubt about that, so I take it incredibly seriously.”
Rozier’s next scheduled court appearance is a March status conference, when he is expected to appear with the other defendants in the Earnest case.
Matt Rybaltowski, Senior Investigative Reporter and Business News Editor
Matt Rybaltowski
Matt is primarily responsible for long-form feature coverage on complex sports betting scandals. He also provides coverage on finance, M&A and other technological developments.