NBA insider Shams Charania provided an update on the shocking NBA arrests during an appearance on Inside the NBA, detailing the cases involving Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Both were taken into custody early Thursday in separate investigations tied to illegal gambling and sports betting.
Billups, arrested at his Portland home, is accused of participating in mafia-linked illegal poker operations spanning New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Rozier, taken into custody at an Orlando hotel, allegedly provided insider NBA information to co-conspirators, allowing large bets to be placed on game outcomes over the past two years.
Charania noted that Rozier’s involvement connects back to a prior case involving Jontay Porter. “There were five co-conspirators from that case that have now stretched to Terry Rozier as far as sports gambling, involving allegedly giving insider information to co-conspirators and betters,” he explained.
Damon Jones is another figure implicated, accused of passing NBA information—including LeBron James sitting out a game—to betting networks. Charania confirmed Jones faces charges on both the poker and sports betting fronts, unlike Rozier and Billups.
Both Rozier and Billups were arraigned in federal court on Thursday and released on bail. Rozier is posting a $6 million home as collateral and will forfeit his passport, while Billups must surrender his passport as well. Both are restricted from travel outside New York until trial. Tiago Splitter has been named interim head coach in Portland following Billups’ arrest.
Charania emphasized the scale of the operation. “They started as a group of a handful of co-conspirators, now it’s well over 30 arrests in total after today’s round of 31 arrests,” he said. He also noted that the NBA had previously investigated Rozier but lacked the federal authority to access all relevant materials, unlike the FBI.
The arrests send shockwaves through the league, placing the careers of Rozier and Billups on hold. Rozier, under a $26 million contract, and Billups, who recently signed a coaching extension, now face potential long-term ramifications depending on the outcome of federal proceedings.
“The NBA is waiting to see where this goes,” Charania said, describing the unprecedented situation as “massive” for both teams, players, and the league. He confirmed that Rozier had surrendered his phone to authorities as part of the investigation, similar to previous federal actions involving other NBA players.
The FBI has described the operation as a sophisticated, multi-state criminal enterprise involving wire fraud, money laundering, and extortion. With more arrests likely, the league faces ongoing uncertainty as federal investigations continue.
