NBA Ordered to Pay Terry Rozier $26.6M After Arbitration Rules Against Salary Hold
The NBA must pay Terry Rozier his full $26.6 million after an arbitrator ruled the league couldn’t withhold salary over gambling allegations — even as a widening federal probe continues.
An arbitrator has ruled in favor of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, ordering the NBA to release his full $26.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season. The league had placed his salary on hold after his October arrest on allegations of match-fixing.
ESPN first reported the ruling on Monday. The arbitrator cited the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which allows unpaid leave only in cases involving domestic or child abuse.
The National Basketball Players Association challenged the NBA’s move in October to withhold Rozier’s pay. A union spokesperson said the decision protects Rozier’s right to due process.
The ruling releases the money that had been held in escrow. Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, said the NBA must treat players as innocent until proven guilty, even when a case draws national attention.
Federal Gambling Case Details
Federal investigators arrested Rozier as part of a broader gambling probe. In October, authorities also charged former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, as well as Chauncey Billups, the Portland Trail Blazers head coach.
Both have pleaded not guilty, but Billups lacks the same contractual protections and stands to lose his entire $7 million salary while the FBI investigation continues.
Previously, in 2024, former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was charged, pleaded guilty, and is awaiting sentencing. The NBA permanently banned Porter from the league.
Prosecutors claim that while playing for the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023, Rozier exited a game against the New Orleans Pelicans early to help bettors cash under prop bets. Authorities allege his friend, Deniro Laster, sold that information to a betting ring connected to the Porter scandal for $100,000.
In December, Rozier pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He posted a $3 million bond and remains free while the case moves forward.
One bettor tied to the alleged scheme has already received a two-year prison sentence. Timothy McCormack and co-defendant Long Phi Pham placed $41,000 in single and parlay bets on Rozier unders for the game in question.
Investigation Expands Beyond Rozier
Federal prosecutors with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are reviewing games beyond the seven named in the indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman told the court that bettors used inside information to place wagers on additional games. The full scope of the investigation remains unclear.
Malik Beasley has also faced scrutiny after suspicious prop-betting activity surfaced during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024. The FBI ended its probe in August, but the NBA opened its own investigation a month later. The fallout reportedly cost Beasley a three-year, $42 million deal with the Detroit Pistons.
Rozier may have won his salary fight, but the criminal case — and the league’s broader gambling investigation — continues. With more games under review and more names potentially emerging, the NBA’s gambling investigations are far from over.
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