Dec 21, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the hoop past Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier will probably not be available to play games for the foreseeable future.
The Heat guard was arrested early Thursday morning by the FBI after an ongoing investigation into a sports gambling probe.
Rozier was previously under investigation by the NBA for unusual betting activity during his time with the Charlotte Hornets from 2019-2024, but the league did not find any violations.
“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,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said earlier this year. “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.”
That initially investiagation surfaced when a professional sports bettor’s account was flagged for betting over $13,000 on Rozier’s under’s in points, rebounds and assists for a Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game in March 2023. Sportsbooks halted betting markets for the veteran guard, who played just 10 minutes before exiting the game with a foot injury.
The 31-year-old did not play in Miami’s season opener on Wednesday night – a loss to the Orlando Magic. Just a few hours later, Rozier was arrested according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
While Rozier has refused to comment on this situation because of advice from his counsel, a lot of online speculation had died down when the NBA did not find any violations. But the FBI’s investigation remained ongoing, leading to an arrest on Thursday morning.
FBI director Kash Patel is scheduled for a 10:00 a.m. press conference on Thursday to further address the case.
Former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley was also subject to a sports gambling probe this offseason. Similarly to Rozier, the NBA’s investigation did not find any violations. However, Beasley remains a free agent and there’s some thought that the FBI still might be looking into his case.
Beasley was set to sign a massive deal in free agency to return to the Pistons. However, news surrounding his involvement with this gambling probe dropped right before free agency opened, and the Pistons opted to sign free agent Caris LeVert instead.
Even though he has been cleared and has interest from teams including the Cleveland Cavaliers, perhaps the news of Rozier’s arrest will cause teams to hold off on bringing in Beasley, especially since the regular season has already tipped off. The last thing these teams want is an unnecessary distraction from winning basketball games.
Rozier and Beasley’s investigations follow the Johntay Porter scandal. Porter was a two-way player with the Toronto Raptors who got caught up betting the “under” on his own player props. He would then fake an injury to exit the game early, cashing his prop bets. He was almost immediately banned from the NBA and currently faces a prison sentence.
The NBA has not yet commented on Rozier’s arrest. Depending on what is revealed in Patel’s FBI press conference on Thursday morning, commissioner Adam Silver might have no choice but to act swiftly, even though the NBA’s investigation showed no violations.
