MIAMI — Terry Rozier refrained from commenting on ongoing federal investigations related to inconsistent betting patterns surrounding his performance during a March 2023 game when he was with the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier, currently playing for the Miami Heat, is associated with the same inquiry that resulted in former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA and facing criminal charges, to which he ultimately pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
While Porter is in the waiting phase for his sentencing, there are no indications that Rozier is under any criminal scrutiny, and he has not faced any charges. Rozier stated, “On advice from counsel, I can’t answer any questions about that matter. So, I won’t.”
An investigation regarding the game between the Hornets and New Orleans, featuring Rozier on March 23, 2023, was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. During that game, Rozier played only nine and a half minutes before leaving due to what was cited as foot discomfort; he did not play again for the remainder of that season. The NBA mentioned that they had previously examined the situation involving Rozier and found no violations of league rules. They confirmed on Thursday the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York is conducting an investigation and that the NBA is “cooperating with that investigation.”
Rozier, who is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, is expected to maintain his role with the Heat as they begin a road trip in San Antonio on Saturday. “His status is still the same,” affirmed Heat coach Erik Spoelstra regarding Rozier’s situation. Despite the scrutiny, Rozier expressed confidence, stating that he is “in a great headspace” and does not foresee any distractions affecting his performance. “It’s kind of always been easy. It’s kind of been my life. You know, once I get in between them lines, I can block out anything. So, it’ll be pretty easy for me. I’m around a great group of guys. We’ve got a great locker room, great staff, so it’s easy for me,” he said.
In the game against New Orleans, Rozier managed to contribute five points, four rebounds, and two assists in the opening quarter, which was below his usual scoring average for an entire game. As Rozier exited early, numerous bettors took to social media, expressing frustration with sportsbooks once it became clear he would not return. Many alleged that something suspicious was occurring regarding the prop bets associated with his performance for that night.
Interestingly, some sportsbooks had offered prop bets for Rozier, generally set around 21.5 points, six assists, and four rebounds, but removed these options just hours prior to the game commencing. The reasoning behind this decision was unclear, and many gamblers questioned this unusual occurrence since Rozier was not listed on the injury report leading up to the game.
At 30 years old, Rozier finds himself in the third year of a four-year, $96.3 million contract. Porter’s lifetime ban was triggered by a similar investigation focused on his performance related to “prop bets,” which allow bettors to wager on whether a player will meet certain statistical outlines within a game. Following reports of strange gambling trends tied to Porter’s performance on March 20, 2024, against Sacramento, the NBA commenced their probe. Evidence suggested that Porter had disclosed personal health information to a bettor before that game, resulting in an $80,000 bet on his failure to meet the proposed statistics, which could have netted the bettor approximately $1.1 million.
