The NBA Players Association (NBPA) announced plans to contest the league’s decision to place Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on unpaid leave following his federal arrest. An NBPA spokesperson told Shams Charania that the move “is counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
Rozier, who has a $26.6 million cap hit this season, was scheduled to receive his first $1.1 million paycheck this week. According to The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds, the withheld salary will be placed in an interest-bearing account pending the outcome of the federal investigation.
The veteran guard is accused of providing insider NBA information to a friend who allegedly used it for betting purposes over the past two years. Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, denied any wrongdoing, stating, “This is an innocent guy who’s getting completely screwed.”
Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups were arrested early last Thursday in separate federal investigations tied to illegal gambling. Billups faces charges related to a mafia-linked poker operation, while Rozier’s alleged involvement centers on sharing inside information, including health updates on NBA players.
Charania noted that Rozier’s case connects to a prior investigation involving co-conspirators from Jontay Porter’s case, now expanded to a larger sports gambling network. Damon Jones was also implicated, accused of passing NBA information to betting operations, though his charges differ from Rozier and Billups.
Both Rozier and Billups were arraigned and released on bail Thursday. Rozier posted $6 million collateral and surrendered his passport, while Billups must remain in New York pending trial. Portland has named Tiago Splitter as interim head coach following Billups’ arrest.
The federal probe has already resulted in over 30 arrests and involves allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and extortion. Charania described the investigation as a “massive” operation with ongoing uncertainty for the league, players, and coaching staff.
