Terry Rozier’s attorney pushed back hard after federal agents arrested the Miami Heat guard in Orlando on Thursday morning in connection with an illegal gambling investigation, The Big Lead reports. Authorities allege Rozier helped a betting ring by tipping members that he would exit a game early, which allowed bettors to wager on his unders with an informational edge.
Jim Trusty, Rozier’s lawyer, delivered a statement to Pablo Torre Finds Out after news of the arrest broke. Trusty said Rozier does not gamble and will contest the charges, per NESN. “They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel,” Trusty said. He called the arrest a “photo op” and added, “Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
What prosecutors allege in the case
Authorities announced two wide-ranging investigations that resulted in 34 arrests across 11 states, ESPN reports. Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Cavaliers guard and assistant coach Damon Jones were also arrested, and the NBA placed Billups and Rozier on leave. FBI director Kash Patel called the scheme “the insider trading saga for the NBA,” and said the money involved was “mind-boggling.”
According to the indictment, defendants used nonpublic information tied to NBA players and coaches to place or pass along profitable bets. Prosecutors allege conspirators wagered on at least seven games between March 2023 and March 2024, involving the Hornets, Magic, Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Raptors. In three of those games, players exited early, which benefited the wagers. The filing states defendants received either a flat fee or a share of betting profits in exchange for the inside information.
One cited example involves a March 23, 2023 game when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets. He started, logged nine minutes and thirty-four seconds, then missed the final eight games of the season. Prosecutors allege Rozier informed co-defendants ahead of time that he planned to leave that game early, and that information reached bettors who profited on his unders.
Rozier’s side and the NBA backdrop
Trusty said prosecutors are relying on “spectacularly in-credible sources rather than actual evidence of wrongdoing.” He noted the defense had reached out “a long time ago” to open a dialogue with the government and criticized the decision to arrest Rozier at a hotel rather than allow a self-surrender. Trusty also pointed to a prior NBA review. League investigators looked into unusual betting activity involving Rozier and, according to Trusty, the NBA cleared him in January.
The league responded to Thursday’s arrests by placing Rozier and Billups on leave while the legal process unfolds. The case arrives amid heightened scrutiny of prop-bet integrity and inside-information risks. Federal officials said four Mafia families and other organized networks backed parts of the operation, and that tens of millions of dollars moved through the schemes.
For Terry Rozier, the next steps will revolve around his legal defense and the NBA’s continuing response. Trusty framed the case as a fight that Rozier welcomes and reiterated that the guard does not gamble. Prosecutors, for their part, say they will rely on communications and betting records to show that conspirators used inside information to tilt outcomes.
The arrest marks the latest flashpoint in the collision of legal sports betting and professional basketball. As the investigation proceeds, the questions are simple but weighty. What did each person know, and when did they know it? The answers will dictate not only Rozier’s fate, but also how the league and its partners police inside information going forward.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Terry Rozier’s Lawyer Fires Back After FBI Arrest in Gambling Probe appeared first on Heavy Sports.