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

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


Silver's remarks in a press conference quickly before the start of the NBA Cup last were his first given that Rozier, Billups and others were arrested in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a gaming mecca that the league has utilized for major events like the Cup last and Summer League for some time.


"I think the fans care a lot," Silver said. "It ´ s hard to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are stating or what ´ s even on social networks. Fans absolutely care. And I mean it when I state, if this game isn ´ t viewed as being honest and the competition being on the level and at the greatest stability, with time we will lose our fan base. I have no doubt about that. Therefore, I take it extremely seriously."


The NBA is unsure for how long the examinations and legal processes surrounding gaming charges faced by Rozier, Billups - a Basketball Hall of Fame conscript - and others will require completed, Silver stated.


But the league will check out the possibility of providing Miami some sort of "satisfying relief" because Rozier presently can ´ t play, Silver included, though he stopped short of saying such a relocation would be possible.


"This is an unprecedented circumstance," Silver stated.


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


It ´ s a for the league and the Heat, considered that Rozier ´ s$26.6 million salary uses up about 17 % of the team ´ s cap area - which the team still owes Charlotte a first-round choice in either 2027 or 2028 to please the terms of the trade that brought Rozier to Miami. It ´ s uncertain who knew that Rozier was under federal examination when the Heat made the trade with the Hornets.


Rozier pleaded innocent earlier this month to wire fraud and cash laundering conspiracy charges stemming from accusations that he helped some buddies win bets that focused on his statistical performance in a video game played in March 2023, when he was with Charlotte. Rozier is free on $3 million bond and isn ´ t anticipated back in court until March, and he remains on unpaid leave from the Heat.


Prosecutors state Rozier notified the wagerers that he planned to leave the game versus the New Orleans Pelicans early with an expected injury, enabling bettors to position wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars. Rozier played the very first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, pointing out a foot concern. He did not play again that season and was subsequently traded to the Heat.


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


"We ´ re going to try to work something through, work this out with them," Silver stated. "But there ´ s no apparent service here. I would just state that there ´ s no doubt at the moment they have a gamer that can ´ t perform services for them. ... Obviously, he hasn ´ t been convicted of anything yet either - however this is an unfortunate scenario. Sometimes there ´ s these distinct events and perhaps often they require a special solution."


Billups also pleaded not guilty last month to charges connected to a different plan to repair high-stakes, Mafia-backed poker games. Rozier, Billups and previous NBA guard Damon Jones were among more than 30 people - including numerous Mafia figures - jailed in October as part of a vast federal takedown of unlawful gambling operations connected to pro sports.


The league requires yearly training for players, coaches and staff about what's permitted and what isn't enabled relating to gambling, which is now legal in the majority of states. Silver famously promoted legalization of sports betting in an op-ed he wrote for The New York Times in 2014.


The scenarios with Rozier and Billups have actually resulted in a quest for even increased awareness, Silver said. The league is also looking at how finest to make sure prop bets based entirely on a gamer's analytical performance - like the ones made on Rozier ´ s March 2023 game - can be performed fairly.


"We ´ ve been redoubling our efforts at the league workplace, dealing with our teams, taking a look at every element of our guidelines around sports wagering," Silver said. "Are there much better methods to educate the participants? Are there alters we should make in how injuries are reported? ... We remain in the process as I said right now and working with our groups thinking about anything else we can be doing, if there ´ s any element of our system that needs to be shored up."