Just days after the arrests of Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier related to the NBA gambling scandal, news has emerged that the pair will not receive their salaries during the FBI investigation.
In what is a live, developing case, law authorities are probing what has been described as a criminal gambling operation that utilized inside information to wager illegal bets.
At a news conference in NYC, FBI Director Kash Patel spoke of “historic” arrests, which also included the La Cosa Nostra crime syndicate.
Altogether, 31 individuals have been charged so far.
The fresh blow for former Portland Trail Blazers coach Billups and Miami Heat Guard Rozier has evoked a strong response from the NBA Players’ Association, with the duo’s attorneys denying any involvement with the gambling ring.
Rozier’s salary will be held in escrow, with the full amount to be paid out if he is cleared in the investigation, while Billups will not be paid during his period of enforced leave.
A spokesperson for the NBA Players’ Association confirmed their intention to fully challenge the suspension of pay, in a statement to CNBC:
“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.
“We plan to challenge their decision via the proper channels,” they added.
No impact on NBA team spending
Rozier’s salary for this season is thought to be around $26.6 million, with Billups said to have earned roughly $4.7 million throughout the 2024-25 season. He signed a multi-year contract extension earlier this year, for an undisclosed amount.
Miami Heat will not be directly paying out on Terry Rozier’s significant salary until further notice, with the next installment due to be paid this week.
Despite this, the Heat will not be granted any kind of salary cap benefit or spending boost as a result of the individual sanction.
This has been explained by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) most recently agreed by the NBA that allows the league to act in situations like this, to place the due funds in a safe account until the conclusion of the investigation.
ReadWrite has reached out to the NBA Players’ Association for comment.
Featured image: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0
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