Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier released: what next for the disgraced NBA duo?
Billups and Rozier were arrested in an FBI probe into mob-linked gambling and poker schemes that have rocked the NBA.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier have been released after being detained as part of an FBI investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games with alleged ties to organized crime.
Chauncey Billups’ possible punishment
Billups, who was temporarily suspended by the Blazers following his arrest, appeared before a federal court in Portland. According to The Athletic, he faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. The coach surrendered his passport and agreed to travel restrictions as part of his release conditions.
Billups, whose leave from the Trail Blazers is indefinite, will be arraigned on charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in New York on Nov. 24. Each charge carries a possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
Accused of ties to underground poker network
Federal agents arrested Billups in Oregon on suspicion of participating in an underground poker network backed by organized crime families. A well-known figure across the league, Billups is in his fifth season coaching the Trail Blazers. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Rozier facing NBA life ban?
Rozier, who was also suspended by the Heat, secured his release by posting his $6 million Florida home as bond and handing over his passport, according to Sports Illustrated. The point guard was arrested in Florida and is among six suspects accused of using insider NBA information to facilitate illegal sports bets for profit.
It has been widely speculated Rozier will suffer the same fate as former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy after he allegedly manipulated his participation in a game to influence the outcome of a bet. In April 2024, Porter was banned from the NBA for life.
FBI details sweeping nationwide operation
The FBI announced that 34 individuals have been arrested across 11 states after a yearslong investigation that cost tens of millions of dollars. Among those detained is Damon Jones, a former player and assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who is reportedly one of three people named in both ongoing cases.
NBA responds to the scandal
In a statement, the NBA said it is taking the allegations “very seriously” and will continue cooperating fully with authorities. The league emphasized that maintaining the integrity of the sport remains its “top priority.”
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