NBPA To Appeal NBA’s Decision To Withhold Terry Rozier’s Payments

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will appeal the NBA’s decision to withhold payments from Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier while being placed on administrative leave for his indictment in a federal gambling probe.

NBPA Continues To Support Terry Rozier

The NBPA released this statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday:

“While we are in agreement with the league that upholding the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance, their decision to place Terry on leave without pay is counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). We plan to challenge their decision via the proper channels.”

The following was released by the NBPA: pic.twitter.com/Ly6cn29Emi

— NBPA (@TheNBPA) October 23, 2025

Per Spotrac, Rozier is earning $26.6 million this season. This is part of the four-year, $96.2 million contract extension he signed with the Charlotte Hornets in August 2021.

His salary, however, will now be held in escrow, per Charania. If Rozier is cleared and allowed to return to the NBA, he would receive the held payments in full.

Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups Placed On Leave

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also placed on leave following the announcement that he had been charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games.

“We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups, and the Trail Blazers are fully cooperating with the investigation. Billups has been placed on immediate leave, and Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching duties in the interim. Any further questions should be directed to the NBA,” the Blazers said in a statement.

Although Rozier’s salary will be withheld, Charania noted that Billups’ $7 million salary this season won’t be held in escrow, meaning he’ll just lose it until the outcome of the FBI case.

Billups allegedly worked with the mob to scam poker players in rigged games, while Rozier allegedly manipulated the outcome of his player props in order for gamblers to win hundreds of thousands of dollars while betting on his performances.

Rozier Faced $8 Million Tax Lien From IRS In 2023

According to county clerk records that were obtained by ESPN’s Paula Levigne and David Purdum, the same year Rozier was alleged to have pulled himself from an NBA game as part of gambling schemes, he was facing an $8 million tax lien from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Per Charania, the IRS filed that lien against Rozier in November 2023, showing an “unpaid balance of assessment” of $8,218,211.70 for the 2021 tax year.

Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, said in an email to The Associated Press that the actual amount owed to the IRS at that time was only a small percentage of that total.

“There was never a debt of $8 million,” Trusty wrote. “Out of his total taxes owed in 2021, he actually owed $9,000. That was paid but the now-defunct lien still needs to be pulled from the local courthouse.”

Federal prosecutors allege that Rozier provided nonpublic information about his plans to leave a March 23, 2023, game early to a friend, Deniro Laster, who then sold it to bettors for about $100,000. Rozier played just over nine minutes before leaving the game due to a foot injury.

Per the indictment, Rozier paid for Laster to travel to Philadelphia to collect the proceeds from the scheme before driving to Rozier’s home to count the money with him. Rozier and Laster were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.