Former Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozierâs attorney acknowledged that his client spoke with a friend about his health before a 2023 game now central to a federal betting investigation â but he insists that conversation was innocent, not criminal.
Rozier’s Attorney Admits Talk, Rejects Crime
Getty Jim Trusty, attorney for Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, talks to press outside the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
In an interview with FOX News Channelâs The Will Cain Show, Jim Trusty, who represents the Miami Heat guard, confirmed that Rozier told longtime friend Deniro Laster he was âbanged upâ and planned to sit early in a late-season game while the Charlotte Hornets were out of playoff contention.
âConfiding in a friend, a childhood friend, and saying, âman, Iâm banged up ⦠I think Iâm going to sit early in this gameâ â thatâs not a crime,â Trusty said. âThatâs not even prohibited by any statute. He told a friend. Whatever that friend did is not on Terry.â
In the unsealed indictments reviewed by Heavy Sports, federal prosecutors allege Laster sold the non-public information for roughly $100,000 to bettors who wagered Rozier would leave the March 2023 game early. Rozier played nine minutes before exiting with a foot injury.
Indictment Details and Defense Pushback
According to the indictment, Rozier allegedly paid for Laster to travel to Philadelphia to collect the proceeds and later counted the cash with him. Rozier and Laster were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, part of a larger probe that has already ensnared Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones, who were also former Celtics players.
Trusty disputed the prosecutionâs account, calling it âthinâ and âcontradictory.â
âThis indictment actually suggests that he faked the injury, which is absurd,â he said. âPeople knew about it â medical staff, coaches, friends. He was hurt at the end of a long 82-game season. He lost money on his shoe contract because he didnât play enough games.â
The veteran lawyer said Rozier had âno reasonâ to risk his $100 million contract or endorsement deals.
âThis is a situation where a friend took information and ran with it,â Trusty said. âTerry didnât do anything.â
Legal Fallout and the NBA’s Next Steps
Rozier has posted bail, using his $6 million Florida home as collateral. ESPNâs Shams Charania reported that the NBA will hold Rozierâs $26.6 million salary in escrow pending the outcome of the case; if cleared, he will receive full back pay.
The case forms part of a widening federal crackdown on sports-betting corruption that also led to ex-Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porterâs guilty plea earlier this year. The NBA has placed Rozier and Billups on administrative leave while cooperating with investigators.
‘Scary Terry’ Starts NBA Career in Boston
Rozier, 31, was drafted by the Celtics in 2015 with the No. 16 selection and became a fan favorite during the teamâs 2018 Eastern Conference Finals run, when he started for the injured Kyrie Irving and earned the nickname âScary Terry.â He spent four seasons in Boston before stints with Charlotte and Miami.
For Celtics fans, the allegations mark a jarring twist for one of the key figures from the teamâs pre-Tatum championship-contending years.
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