This morning’s news hit the NBA from its blindside. The FBI arrested some prominent names around the league as part of an investigation into possible illegal gambling activities. Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups are both faced with those charges. The situation is still developing.

FBI’s Kash Patel is expected to hold a press conference soon to clarify the exact charges. But what is known so far? Did both of them alter their performances at any point? Let’s dive into the details about what has transpired so far.

Why were Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier arrested?

The Portland Trail Blazers head coach has a clean image. He is a Hall of Famer, a Finals MVP, and was enjoying life as a head coach for the rebuilding franchise. His involvement is new, but not linked to the games he has coached. Billups was apparently arrested for an entirely different probe altogether.

According to ABC News, “Chauncey Billups has been charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia,”. The Department of Justice also released a statement, claiming Billups’ arrest is related to “poker game schemes”. This likely falls outside the jurisdiction of the NBA, eliminating Billups’ involvement in fixing NBA games.

The same can’t be said for the Heat’s Terry Rozier.

His links go back years. The NBA initially led an investigation tying Rozier to an illegal gambling case for a game held in March 2023. During the time, betting sites observed a staggering amount of under bets placed on the veteran’s major stats. But the league did not find Terry Rozier guilty of any wrongdoing.

However, the NBA’s Mike Bass also revealed at the time, “We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation,”. It seems the FBI has found Rozier’s activity suspicious. According to ABC News, the Heat guard and Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones were among six people arrested for “turning professional basketball into a criminal gambling operation by using inside information to place unlawful wagers,”.

This is surely a dark day for the NBA as the league continues to deal with illegal gambling situations. Last season, Raptors’ Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to providing inside information and faced a lifetime NBA ban. Moreover, free agent Malik Beasley is also under an NBA investigation for the same.

This is a developing story, with the upcoming press conference set to answer the fans and the league’s uncertainty about the details of the case.