The NBA’s gambling saga is a storm that refuses to slow down. Chauncey Billups is at the center of it. But this time, it’s he who is fighting to clear his name. It has been 7 days since his arrest. Reports suggest that Billups has been placed on leave by the Portland Trail Blazers. He, along with Damon Jones, faces accusations, allegedly tying them to organized crime. 

For his relief, Billups has sought prominent trial lawyer Marc Mukasey to defend him in the federal probe. According to FullCourt Pass, on X, “Chauncey Billups has hired trial lawyer Marc Mukasey to defend him in the federal investigation into illegal gambling, per TheAthletic. He also represented the co-founder of Aspiration, who was accused of helping the Clippers circumvent the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard.”

Mukasey’s own legal résumé includes representing the co-founder of Aspiration Partners, Inc., Joseph Sanberg. However, he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud for defrauding investors out of about $248 million. A change of plea hearing was scheduled for October 20, 2025, and the trial was originally scheduled for January 20, 2026. 

In September 2025, investigative journalist Pablo Torre reported that the Los Angeles Clippers may have skirted salary-cap rules.

This brought Kawhi Leonard into the light. Reportedly, the Clippers funneled a $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal via Aspiration, which was already a bankrupt fintech firm by then. They had received a $50 million investment from team owner Steve Ballmer.

Not only that, Marc Mukasey has previously defended Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now collapsed crypto exchange FTX, during his sentencing on charges of fraud and corruption in 2023. 

Marc Mukasey is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey. As a white collar trial attorney, he has handled some of the most high-profile cases in recent years. Mukasey has famously defended President Donald Trump as well as Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder charges in 2019.

Earlier in his career, both Mukasey and his father advised former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani during his 2007 presidential campaign.

In this ongoing federal probe, Mukasey replaces attorney Chris Heywood, who was representing Chauncey Billups during his initial arraignment on October 23. At 49, Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

If proven guilty, he would face up to 20 years in federal prison for each of the charges. Billups’s next court appearance is scheduled for November 24 in the Eastern District of New York, and that is where Mukasey will be formally defending him.

But the list of names being linked with the case is still growing.

Ty Lue’s name enters the shuffle

Tyronn Lue is the new name. According to journalist Pablo Torre, multiple sources have confirmed Lue’s presence at the April 2019 Las Vegas poker game, the same one federal agents allege his possible involvement.

Though Torre clarified that Lue “did not play at the same table as Chauncey Billups,” his attendance at a game now tied to a federal indictment deepens the intrigue.

The connection is linked far beyond that night. Lue was the one who hired Billups as his Clippers assistant in 2020.

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Upon the arrest, Lue was the one who extended a hand of support for Billups. “When you’ve known somebody so long, you can just tell by their voice, if he’s okay. Like I said, he’s confident in what’s going on. The toughest part just for him is just like his family going through with his daughters,” Lue said.

“But other than that, he’s really confident about the situation. So just hearing his voice, I can just see that he’s okay. So that was good to hear.” He did stand by him, but that closeness is being seen with scrutiny.

As Torre further noted, “Ty Lue lives in Vegas during the offseason. He also loves poker. He’s often seen at what many insiders consider the nexus of the NBA poker world: the Aria High Limit Bar.”

Those details have quickly become points of discussion now. What’s even more telling is that Lue appeared with former NBA guard Damon Jones at the 2024 World Series of Poker.

Damon Jones is also accused and arrested along with Billups. This fact adds another layer to his proximity with the suspected figures. As the FBI widens its net and the way multiple NBA teams are getting caught in between the fire, one question remains: what will be the outcome of this for Billups?