Disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy has predicted that Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones could face a jail sentence of 10 to 20 years for their alleged involvement in illegal gambling activities.
Donaghy, who spent 11 months in a federal prison after pleading guilty to two charges related to illegal gambling, believes that the FBI likely has enough dirt to indict all three and wouldn’t have carried out their arrests without a strong case.
“This is the tip of the iceberg when you talk about an investigation of this level,” Donaghy told the PBD Podcast. “With the FBI being involved, you know, Billups is going to sit down with them, Rozier is going to sit down, Jones is going to sit down. They’re going to be facing 10, 15, 20 years in jail.
“They’re clearly going to scare the s**t out of them, and they’re gonna cooperate.
NBA Hit With Gambling Scandal
Donaghy further stated that Billups, Jones and Rozier would have no choice but to spill the beans.
“The last thing you wanna do is sit in a jail cell for the next 20 years when you have a family at home,” he said.
“It’s going to be widespread. There will be a lot of big names involved. I don’t believe the NBA will be able to cover something like this up.”
The FBI charged Billups, Rozier, and Jones in two separate indictments. Billups has been accused of rigging poker games nationwide since 2019. And in a separate indictment, he matches the description of Co-Conspirator 8, who allegedly provided gamblers with inside information before a Trail Blazers game on March 24, 2023.
Rozier is charged in the latter indictment for allegedly intentionally leaving a game in 2023 so a co-conspirator could place a bet and win, per The Athletic.
Jones, meanwhile, was charged in both indictments that include 34 defendants, with 13 men accused of being involved in the mafia.
Not Being Paid During Absence
Billups and Rozier, who’ve been placed on leave of absence by the NBA, won’t be paid during their time away from the league, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Rozier’s salary of $26.6M, which was slated to be paid in installments, will reportedly be held in escrow. However, if and when he’s cleared to return to the league, he would receive the held payments in full, Charania’s report added.
“While we are in agreement with the league that upholding the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance, their decision to place Terry on leave without pay is counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our Collective Bargaining Agreement,” a National Basketball Players Association spokesperson said in a statement.
“We plan to challenge their decision via the proper channels.”
As for Billups, his $7M salary will not be held in escrow. He’ll reportedly lose the money until the outcome of the FBI case is determined.
Billups is slated to appear in Eastern District Court in Brooklyn on Nov. 24, according to CBS Sports. Rozier will appear at the same federal courthouse on Dec. 8.
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