Silver Says NBA Is Taking Gambling Scandal Seriously, May Look Into

LAS VEGAS (AP) - It is crucial for the NBA to be viewed as having integrity, Commissioner Adam Silver stated Tuesday, including that the betting scandals that caused the arrests of Miami guard Terry Rozier, Portland coach Chauncey Billups and others are being taken with the utmost severity.


Silver's comments in a press conference shortly before the start of the NBA Cup last were his first given that Rozier, Billups and others were apprehended in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a betting capital that the league has actually utilized for significant occasions like the Cup last and Summer League for a long time.


"I think the fans care a lot," Silver stated. "It ´ s hard to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are saying or what ´ s even on social media. Fans definitely care. And I indicate it when I say, if this video game isn ´ t deemed being truthful and the competitors being on the level and at the greatest stability, over time we will lose our fan base. I have no doubt about that. And so, I take it exceptionally seriously."


The NBA is unsure how long the examinations and legal procedures surrounding gambling charges dealt with by Rozier, Billups - a Hall of Fame inductee - and others will take to be finished, Silver said.


But the league will check out the possibility of giving Miami some sort of "satisfying relief" due to the fact that Rozier currently can ´ t play, Silver included, though he stopped short of saying such a relocation would be possible.


"This is an unprecedented situation," Silver stated.


Miami Heat's Terry Rozier, right, leaves Brooklyn federal court, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)


It ´ s a multi-layered concern for the league and the Heat, provided that Rozier ´ s$26.6 million wage takes up about 17 % of the group ´ s cap area - which the group still owes Charlotte a first-round pick in either 2027 or 2028 to please the regards to the trade that brought Rozier to Miami. It ´ s unclear who knew that Rozier was under federal examination when the Heat made the trade with the Hornets.


Rozier pleaded not guilty earlier this month to wire fraud and cash laundering conspiracy charges stemming from accusations that he helped some pals win bets that focused on his statistical performance in a game played in March 2023, when he was with Charlotte. Rozier is complimentary on $3 million bond and isn ´ t anticipated back in court until March, and he remains on unpaid leave from the Heat.


Prosecutors say Rozier notified the gamblers that he intended to leave the video game versus the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers making them 10s of thousands of dollars. Rozier played the very first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the video game before leaving, citing a foot problem. He did not play once again that season and was consequently traded to the Heat.


Rozier isn ´ t receiving his pay, however his wage is still on the Heat ´ s books and is being sent to an interest-bearing account pending resolution of his case or some other arrangement.


"We ´ re going to try to work something through, work this out with them," Silver said. "But there ´ s no obvious service here. I would simply state that there ´ s no doubt at the minute they have a player that can ´ t perform services for them. ... Obviously, he hasn ´ t been convicted of anything yet either - but this is a regrettable circumstance. Sometimes there ´ s these unique events and maybe often they need a special service."


Billups likewise pleaded not guilty last month to charges related to a different scheme to repair high-stakes, Mafia-backed poker video games. Rozier, Billups and former NBA guard Damon Jones were among more than 30 people - including a number of Mafia figures - detained in October as part of a sprawling federal takedown of unlawful gaming operations connected to pro sports.


The league requires annual training for players, coaches and personnel about what's enabled and what isn't enabled relating to betting, which is now legal in most states. Silver famously championed legalization of sports wagering in an op-ed he composed for The New York Times in 2014.


The circumstances with Rozier and Billups have actually caused a quest for even increased awareness, Silver said. The league is likewise looking at how best to ensure prop bets based solely on a player's analytical efficiency - like the ones made on Rozier ´ s March 2023 video game - can be performed fairly.


"We ´ ve been redoubling our efforts at the league office, working with our groups, taking a look at every element of our guidelines around sports wagering," Silver said. "Are there much better ways to educate the participants? Exist changes we should make in how injuries are reported? ... We're in the procedure as I stated right now and working with our groups thinking of anything else we can be doing, if there ´ s any element of our system that requires to be supported."