Billups and Jones are alleged to have knowingly participated in rigged poker games, while Rozier and Jones allegedly leaked non-public information about NBA games in order for those close to them to place wagers with a competitive advantage.

Each person has, or had, prominent roles in the NBA, but now, their legacies are seemingly tarnished.

Here are deep dives into how Billups, Rozier and Jones got to where they are today.

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Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones were arrested on Thursday. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images, Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Chauncey Billups

Before getting back on the sidelines as a coach, Billups was a prominent player, most notably with the Detroit Pistons.

Billups, along with Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton, coached by Larry Brown, won an NBA title in 2004, when Billups was named the Finals MVP.

Before that, Billups was the third overall pick by the Boston Celtics in 1997 after starring at Colorado. He was in Boston for roughly half a season before being traded to the Toronto Raptors. He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets the following year and signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000.

Billups signed with Detroit ahead of the 2002-03 season and found his niche, becoming a defensive stalwart and being named to four of his five All-Star teams as a Piston. From 2011 through the end of his career, he made stops with the Nuggets again, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and then the Pistons a final time before calling it a career. From 2003 through 2011, he averaged 17.3 points and 6.2 assists per game.

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups watches from the sideline during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on April 6, 2025. (Soobum Im/Imagn Images)

He was hired as an assistant coach for the Clippers in 2020, then became the Portland Trail Blazers head coach the following year. He agreed to a multiyear extension with the club in April.

Billups was allegedly dubbed one of the “face cards,” which the indictment stated were “members of the Cheating Teams and received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation in the scheme.” The scheme resulted in victims losing at least $7.15 million, dating back to April 2019, according to the Department of Justice.

Billups was “utilized to attract victims to the games because of their status as former professional athletes,” the DOJ said.

Billups was one of five defendants who “organized and participated in rigged poker games” in Las Vegas “using a rigged shuffling machine,” with victims losing at least $50,000. One of the defendants texted another co-conspirator that Billups should purposefully lose a hand to avoid cheating suspicions.

During that game, a defendant said one of the victims had “acted like he wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “star struck” by Billups, according to officials.

In October 2020, Billups was allegedly wired $50,000 following a rigged poker game.

Billups’ career earnings exceeded $100 million as a player, while Jones made at least $20 million.

Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups (1) shoots a free throw during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons won 113-102.  (Tim Fuller/USA Today Sports)

Billups is not listed in the sports betting scandal that led to the arrest of Terry Rozier. However, the DOJ mentioned a Trail Blazers–Chicago Bulls matchup on March 24, 2023, the day after Rozier’s alleged wrongdoings, in which a co-conspirator, “an NBA coach at the time,” allegedly told a longtime friend, who is also a defendant in the rigged poker scheme, that the Blazers would be “tanking” that night for a better draft pick and would sit some of the team’s best players. The resting of the players had not yet been public information. The team’s top four scorers, including Damian Lillard, all did not play that night, as other co-conspirators allegedly wagered more than $100,000 total against Portland.

The “co-conspirator” in question is listed as a former NBA player whose career spanned from “approximately 1997 through 2014” and “an NBA coach since at least 2021.” Only Billups fits that criterion.

Terry Rozier

Rozier was the only active NBA player arrested Thursday, as he is accused of purposely exiting a 2023 game early, citing an injury so co-conspirators could allegedly place wagers on his “under” prop bets.

Before essentially becoming a tarnished player, Rozier starred at the University of Louisville for two seasons before becoming the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Rozier was drafted by the Boston Celtics, where he spent his first four seasons mostly coming off the bench. He was traded to the Charlotte Hornets after the 2018-19 season, where he found his footing and became an everyday starter.

Terry Rozier, #3 of the Charlotte Hornets, brings the ball up court against the Philadelphia 76ers during their game at Spectrum Center on Jan. 20, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

7 NBA GAMES DOJ SAYS WERE AFFECTED BY HIGH-STAKES WAGERS AFTER INSIDE INFORMATION WAS LEAKED TO GAMBLERS

As his minutes increased, he wound up averaging 18.0 points per game in his first season with Charlotte. The next season, he put up 20.4 points and notched a career-high 21.1 points in the 2022-23 season.

Due to his prowess, Rozier inked a four-year, $97 million contract extension with the Hornets shortly before the 2021-22 season started. However, he was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick during the 2023-24 season.

It was initially reported in January that Rozier was being investigated for involvement in a game on March 23, 2023.

Rozier is alleged to have told a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he would take himself out of a game early, citing an injury so Laster could place wagers based on the information. Neither Hornets officials nor betting companies were made aware of Rozier’s plan, according to the indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena on May 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)

Laster then allegedly sold that information to other co-conspirators, and numerous people placed wagers totaling roughly $200,000 on Rozier’s “under” prop bets to hit in both parlay and straight wagers. After Rozier played just nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Laster counted cash winnings at Rozier’s home in Charlotte roughly a week later, the indictment says.

Damon Jones

Despite being undrafted out of Houston in 1997, Jones still managed to play 11 seasons in the NBA. The definition of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams in his career. However, throughout his time, he was teammates with prominent stars, including LeBron James during his three-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He also spent a season with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal with the Miami Heat.

He became a coach following his playing career, winning a title with James and the Cavs in 2016 as an assistant. Jones joined the Los Angeles Lakers, James’ current team, as an unofficial, unpaid member of the coaching staff for the 2022-23 season. Jones, though, is accused of wrongdoing during that season.

He is alleged to have told someone close to him that a “prominent” player on the Lakers would not play on Feb. 9, 2023, before the information was public.

“Get a big bet on [the] Milwaukee [Bucks] tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat to [sic] now!!!,” Jones allegedly texted a friend.

The DOJ says the player was eventually ruled out with a lower-body injury — James did not play that night due to an ankle injury that kept him out for two more games, and ESPN has reported that the player in question is, in fact, James. The game in question took place two days after James scored 38 points to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

LeBron James (23) talks with Cavaliers Head Coach Tyronn Lue (not pictured) and former teammate Damon Jones, center, during an off-day practice before the Golden State Warriors played the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.  (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

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Jones also allegedly gave apparent inside information about another “one of the Lakers’ best players” 11 months later regarding an injury that was likely to affect his performance, which ultimately backfired as the player “performed well” and the Lakers won.

Billups, Rozier and Jones, the latter of whom is a defendant in both cases, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The NBA announced that Billups and Rozier were placed on immediate leave from their teams, “and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities.”

“The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said.

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The federal investigation involved multiple agencies and the NYPD as they targeted the La Cosa Nostra crime families in two separate operations across several states. Officials said Billups, Rozier and Jones face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“Day in and day out, this FBI is following the money — and today is the result of that outstanding work,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “This operation involved an expansive effort across 11 states arresting 34 subjects, including multiple NBA players and coaches, who allegedly took advantage of their own positions of power to rig gambling systems for their own benefit — eventually funneling money to La Cosa Nostra, enriching some of the most notorious criminal networks in the world.

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FBI Director Kash Patel testifies in front of the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17, 2025. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY via Imagn Images)

“That ends today — and the FBI’s efforts to make sure gambling operations of all kinds stay within the law are only beginning. Thank you to the outstanding men and women of the FBI who pursued this case and followed the facts accordingly.”

The NBA placed Billups and Rozier on immediate leave of absence.

“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the league said.”Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”

Officials detailed their two operations – Zhen Diagram and Nothing But Net – in a press conference in New York.

“Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out. Violating the law is a losing proposition and you can bet on that,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella said.

Federal authorities launched an investigation, dubbed Operation Zhen Diagram, into a nationwide gambling ring allegedly involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families who allegedly defrauded unwitting victims of millions.

The FBI said that the proceeds of the activity were allegedly laundered by members of the ring and at some points were converted into cryptocurrency to avoid being detected by law enforcement.

The FBI said a confidential source recorded more than 3,000 phone calls and meetings with the targets of its investigation. The source introduced undercover agents to the targets and participated in a rigged poker game.

Officials said the poker games involved cheating devices such as rigged shuffling devices and X-ray tables.

Billups was arrested as part of the illegal poker takedown. Nocella said the alleged schemers targeted victims known as “fish” who lured victims by giving them the chance to play alongside former pro athletes known as “face cards.” He said Billups and Jones were dubbed as a “face card” by the schemers.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena on May 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)

NBA PLAYER TERRY ROZIER’S LAWYER SLAMS FBI AFTER ARREST

Nocella said the “fish” didn’t know that the “face cards” were in on the scam.

Nocella said the schemers were given non-public information about who would be sitting out future games or when they would be pulling themselves out early for injuries or illnesses. Jontay Porter, a former Toronto Raptors, received a lifetime ban for the NBA and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a gambling scheme last year.

“In one instance they got their information by threatening a current player, Porter, because of his preexisting gambling debts,” Nocella said. “Defendants used this information to place hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent bets – mostly in the form of prop bets on individual player performance.

“The defendants relied on a network of straw bettors to place the maximum amount of bets to increase their potential profits. Most of these bets succeeded and the intended losses were in the millions of dollars. The defendants then laundered their illegal winnings in various ways.”

“The indictment details specific examples where the defendants profited from illegal gambling and illegal betting on various NBA games about the performance of players on, among other things, the Charlotte Hornets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto (Raptors).

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Rozier faked an injury to leave a March 23, 2023, game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier was alleged to have told co-defendant Deniro Laster that he would take himself out of the game so Laster can bet on it.

The NBA cooperated with the investigation.

The Heat referred to the NBA’s statement.

The Trail Blazers issued a statement later Thursday.

“We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups, and the Trail Blazers are fully cooperating with the investigation,” the team said. “Billups has been placed on immediate leave, and Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching duties in the interim.

“Any further questions should be directed to the NBA.”

Rozier did not play during the Heat’s game on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. He was with the Hornets from 2019 to the middle of the 2023-24 season.

Billups was on the sidelines for the Trail Blazers against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He became their head coach before the 2021-22 season after a Hall of Famer career with the Detroit Pistons and other teams. He won an NBA title with the Pistons and was a three-time All-Star.

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups leads his team against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on April 4, 2024. (Matt Marton/Imagn Images)

Jones played in the NBA from 1998 to 2009 across 10 different teams. He is linked to a bet during a Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks game.

James Trusty, of Ifrah Law PLLC, released a statement on Rozier’s arrest:

“We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication,” Trusty told Fox News. “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.

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“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”

READ THE POKER INDICTMENT BELOW

READ THE GAMBLING INDICTMENT BELOW

Fox News’ David Spunt and Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

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Rozier, Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and former NBA coach Damon Jones were among the professional sports figures arrested in the probe.

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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena on May 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)

“We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication. 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,” James Trusty, of Ifrah Law PLLC, said in a statement.

“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”

Rozier was allegedly involved in a scheme to manipulate statistics in order for his alleged co-conspirators to profit from prop bets.

Fox News Digital reached out to the NBA and the Heat for comment.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) and guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) celebrate during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

The NBA confirmed in January that Rozier was under investigation by federal prosecutors over suspicions of an illegal betting scheme. The Wall Street Journal first reported the Rozier allegations.

The NBA said it looked into the matter at the time and didn’t find any league rules were broken.

“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” the league told The Wall Street Journal in January. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”

The game involving Rozier that is in question was played March 23, 2023, a matchup between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes, 36 seconds of that game – and not only did not return that night, citing a foot issue, but did not play again that season. Charlotte had eight games remaining and was not in playoff contention, so it did not seem particularly unusual that Rozier was shut down for the season’s final games.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) handles the ball during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)

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In that March 23 game, Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists in that opening period – a productive quarter, but well below his usual total output for a full game.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

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Rozier is alleged to have faked an injury during a game on March 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets, so his friends and co-conspirators could place wagers on his “under” prop bets.

Rozier did not play in Miami’s season opener on Wednesday and was arrested the next morning, and later was placed on leave by the NBA.

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Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) celebrates with guard Terry Rozier (2) after he hits a three-point basket as time runs out to win the game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski/USA Today Sports)

Friday’s shootaround without Rozier prompted reality to set in for the Heat, who had a game that night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

“You support him through and through. That’s our brother at the end of the day,” Heat captain Bam Adebayo said at the shootaround, via ESPN. “It felt kind of weird without him being here, actually, because he’s the first person I get to talk to in the morning. He brings that great energy to our team.”

“We stand behind him. Full support.”

“Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us,” added head coach Erik Spoelstra. “He’s had a real positive impact on our locker room, and the staff and players alike, and that includes last year, when he wasn’t in the rotation oftentimes. We send our thoughts and our care for him as he goes through this.”

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) handles the ball during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)

WHO ARE CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, TERRY ROZIER AND DAMON JONES? NBA SUBJECTS ARRESTED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING PROBE

“You’re left with no other choice (but to move on),” Spoelstra added. “The league doesn’t wait. It doesn’t stop for you. … You have to learn how to compartmentalize and focus on the most immediate thing, and that’s preparing for an important game tonight.”

Miami walloped the Grizzlies, 146-114.

Neither Hornets officials nor betting companies were made aware of Rozier’s plan, according to the Department of Justice indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.

Deniro Laster then allegedly sold that information to other co-conspirators, and numerous people placed wagers totaling roughly $200,000 on Rozier’s “under” prop bets to hit in both parlay and straight wagers. After Rozier played just nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Laster counted cash winnings at Rozier’s home in Charlotte roughly a week later, the indictment says.

Terry Rozier of the Charlotte Hornets brings the ball up court against the Philadelphia 76ers during their game at Spectrum Center on Jan. 20, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

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Rozier and Chauncey Billups, the latter of whom was arrested as part of an illegal poker ring, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The NBA announced that Billups and Rozier were placed on immediate leave from their teams, “and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities.”

“The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said.

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