While Terry Rozier was reportedly cleared by the NBA of any wrongdoing in its investigation into gambling allegations, the veteran guard remains under federal investigation.
As was the case when the investigation into Rozier was first reported, a March 23, 2023, NBA game continues to draw scrutiny based on unusual activity. Rozier was the subject of 30 wagers, all placed within a 46-minute spa, ESPN’s David Purdum reported, upon obtaining documents from the investigation.
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Prior to a game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans on the aforementioned date, a sportsbook received $13,759 in wagers from one bettor, according to the investigation’s documents. The 30 bets were all on the unders for Rozier’s points, rebounds and assists.
The activity was unusual enough to be noticed by U.S. Integrity, which monitors betting markets for abnormalities, resulting in six sports books and the NBA being notified. Within an hour of the alert from U.S. Integrity, most prominent sports books stopped taking bets on Rozier props.
Rozier left the game after playing 10 minutes, citing a foot injury. He finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, which were all under the betting line for his statistics. Consequently, all 30 of those bets won.
The NBA investigated the betting activity and determined that no league rules were violated, thus leading to reports that Rozier had been cleared by the league. Rozier’s attorney told ESPN that Rozier is no longer part of the federal investigation, which remains open. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York would not confirm or deny Rozier’s status in the investigation, according to ESPN.
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The same investigation resulted in Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter getting charged with a felony and receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA in April 2024. Free-agent guard Malik Beasley is also being investigated by federal authorities and the NBA for prop bets placed beginning in January 2024, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. He has not been charged.
Reporting by Pablo Torre and Yahoo Sports contributor Tom Haberstroh found that one figure with the alias of “Moose” connected Rozier, Porter and Beasley in gambling activity, predicting Beasley being investigated when the Rozier news was reported five months earlier.
Rozier did not play the remaining eight games for the Hornets that season after that March 2023 contest. He was traded to the Miami Heat, for whom he’s still under contract for $26.6 million through the 2025-26 season. In his two seasons with the Heat, Rozier has averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists, shooting 32% on 3-pointers.
