Portland Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat Player Terry Rozier Detained in Gambling Probe

Key Takeaways:

• Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups were arrested on Thursday in connection to an ongoing federal gambling investigation
• Authorities are expected to announce charges against multiple individuals, including organised crime associates, later this morning
• Recent years have seen increased scrutiny on gambling within the NBA, with Jontay Porter banned for life in 2024 for related violations

Details of the Arrests

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were detained on Thursday as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling. According to two senior law enforcement officials, Rozier was apprehended in Orlando, Florida, while the location of Billups’s detention has not yet been disclosed. Notably, the Trail Blazers hosted a match in Portland last night.

The probe extends beyond the two NBA personalities, with several members and associates of organised crime groups also anticipated to face charges across two separate cases pertaining to illicit gambling activities.

Chauncey Billups has been charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, per @ABC pic.twitter.com/UkRiOTgJxy

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 23, 2025

Upcoming Charges and Official Responses

Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have indicated that formal charges against the suspects will be announced later this morning. There has been no immediate response from Terry Rozier’s agent, Aaron Turner, or from representatives of the Miami Heat or Portland Trail Blazers following requests for comment.

Background on Rozier and Billups

Terry Rozier, an Ohio native and 10-year NBA veteran, entered the league as the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft following his collegiate career at Louisville. Rozier joined the Miami Heat from the Charlotte Hornets in 2024. At this stage, it has not been clarified which particular case Rozier is associated with.

Chauncey Billups, 49, began his NBA career in 1997 as the third overall draft pick after establishing himself as a standout player at both the high school and collegiate levels in Colorado. Billups’s leadership and crucial performances were instrumental in securing Detroit’s NBA championship against the Lakers in 2004, earning him the Finals MVP title and the nickname “Mr. Big Shot”. Between 2006 and 2010, he was selected as an NBA All-Star five times. Billups retired in 2014, later serving as an analyst for ESPN before moving into coaching, initially as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers followed by his appointment as head coach of the Trail Blazers in 2021. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Wider Context: Gambling and the NBA

Billups’s involvement comes just four months after former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested and indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, accused of operating illegal high-stakes poker games from a Los Angeles-area residence.

Concerns regarding gambling in professional basketball have become more prevalent in recent seasons. In 2024, Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to federal charges and was permanently banned by the NBA for wagering on games and sharing confidential participation information with bettors whilst playing for the Toronto Raptors. Porter is due for sentencing in December.