NBA news: Who are Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones?

Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones They were arrested Thursday morning as part of an FBI investigation into allegations of illegal gambling with ties to the La Cosa Nostra crime families.

Billups and Jones They allegedly knowingly participated in rigged poker games, while Rozier and Jones allegedly leaked non-public information about NBA games so those close to them could bet with a competitive advantage.

Everyone has, or had, prominent roles in the NBA, but now, it seems their legacies have been tarnished.

Here’s a deep dive 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 Thursday for their alleged roles in illegal gambling schemes.

Chauncey Billups

Before returning to the sidelines as a coach, Billups was a standout player, most notably with the United States national team Detroit Pistons.

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

Before that, Billups was the third overall pick of the Boston Celtics in 1997 after starring in Colorado. He was in Boston for about half a season before being traded to the Toronto Raptors. Then he was traded to Denver Nuggets The following year, she signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000.

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

Portland Trail Blazers 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. (Soboom Im/Imagine Images)

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

Billups allegedly named one of the “face cards,” which the indictment said were “members of the fraud teams and received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation in the scheme.” The scheme led to victims losing at least $7.15 million, dating back to April 2019, according to the Department of Justice.

The Justice Department said Billups “was used to lure victims to the Games because of their status as former professional athletes.”

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

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

In October 2020, Billups was allegedly wired $50,000 after 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) hits a free throw during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 113-102. (Tim Fuller/USA Today Sports)

Billups was not included in the sports betting scandal that led to Terry Rozier’s arrest. However, the Department of Justice cited a game between the Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls on March 24, 2023, the day after Rozier’s alleged improprieties, in which one of the conspirators, an “NBA coach at the time,” allegedly told a longtime friend, also a defendant in the rigged poker scheme, that the Blazers would “prepare” that night for a better draft pick and would sit some of the best Team players. The rest of the players has not been announced yet. The team’s top four scorers, including Damian Lillard, did not all play that night, as other conspirators allegedly bet 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 this criteria.

Terry Rozier

Rozier was the only active NBA player arrested Thursday, as he is charged Intentionally leaving the 2023 match earlyciting a hit so that the co-conspirators could place bets on his “lower” backing bets.

Before becoming a disgraced 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 on the bench. Traded to Charlotte Hornets After the 2018-19 season, where he found his niche and became a regular in everyday life.

Terry Rozier No. 3 of the Charlotte Hornets raises the ball up court for the Philadelphia 76ers during their game at Spectrum Center on January 20, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

7 NBA Games The Department of Justice says it was affected by high-stakes bets after gamblers’ inside information was leaked

As his minutes increased, he ended up averaging 18.0 points per game in his first season with Charlotte. The following season, he scored 20.4 points and set a career-high 21.1 points in the 2022-23 season.

Given his prowess, Rozier signed a four-year, $97 million contract extension with the Hornets shortly before the start of the 2021-22 season. However, he was traded to the Miami Heat 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 his involvement in a game on March 23, 2023.

Rozier allegedly told childhood friend, Dinero Luster, that he was taking himself out of the game early, citing the injury so Luster could place bets based on the information. Neither Hornets officials nor the betting companies knew about 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/Imagine Images)

Laster then allegedly sold this information to other conspirators, and several people placed bets totaling approximately $200,000 on Rozier’s “under” bets to obtain both straight and line bets. After Rozier played just nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Luster counted the cash windfalls at Rozier’s home in Charlotte about a week later, the indictment says.

Damon Jones

Despite not being released from Houston in 1997, Jones still managed to play 11 seasons in the NBA. The definition of a skilled player, Jones played for 10 teams in his career. However, throughout his existence, he was teammates with superstars, including LeBron James During his three-year tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He also spent a season alongside Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal with the Miami Heat.

He became a coach after his playing career, winning a title with James and Cleveland 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. But Jones is accused of violations during that season.

He allegedly told someone close to him that a “prominent” Lakers player would not play on February 9, 2023, before the information became public.

“Have a big bet [the] milwaukee [Bucks] Tonight before the information comes out! [Player 3] Out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat [sic] NOW!!!” Jones allegedly texted a friend.

The DOJ says the player was ultimately ruled out with a lower-body injury — James did not play that night due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for two more games, and ESPN reports that the player in question is actually 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 coach Tyronn Lue (not pictured) and former teammate Damon Jones, center, during an off-day practice before the Golden State Warriors play 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/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

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

Billups, Rozier and Jones, the latter charged in both cases, are 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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