Two wide-ranging FBI investigations into illegal sports betting and Mafia-backed rigged poker games led to 37 total arrests across 11 states. Among the defendants is Terry Rozier, who is accused of leaking insider information and more to benefit an illegal sports betting ring. He appeared in federal court in late October 2025, but was released on bail. But he continues to plead not guilty, and his attorneys now claim that new evidence proves his innocence.

“In a filing Friday, lawyers for Rozier said the player never agreed to manipulate his performance for the sake of sports gamblers and that Rozier did not know anyone was betting on his stats during a March 23, 2023, game while he was with the Charlotte Hornets, as federal prosecutors have alleged,” The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov reported.

“According to the filing, Deniro Laster, Rozier’s friend and a co-defendant in the case, sent a text March 29 — six days after the game in question and as prosecutors have said he was picking up his payment from a gambler who allegedly profited from insider information on Rozier — instructing the person not to tell Rozier about the bet on him.”

The former Miami Heat star’s lawyers, David Markus and Anita Margot Moss, highlight a March 29, 2023 text from co-defendant Deniro Laster saying, “Don’t tell chum bout the bet” with the reply “Hell no,” from the receiver. They argue it proves Rozier was unaware of any wagering on his stats since the bet was hidden from him. However, the federal prosecutors are not staying quiet.

They have also filed a motion saying that they have “developed evidence from multiple sources that this text chain does not relate to sports gambling.” As such, they are looking for the judge to deny Rozier’s request.

The NBA veteran is facing four federal charges, but his attorneys are asking the judge to dismiss sports bribery and honest services fraud counts. Rozier is already awaiting a decision after he requested the judge to dismiss his other two counts of wire frauds in December. His attorneys are also requesting to move the case to the Southern District of Florida.

“This should end the case,” lawyers for Rozier wrote in the legal filing. “One does not hide a bet from the person who supposedly sold it.”

The filing is part of a larger federal probe into NBA gambling schemes involving multiple players.

Prosecutors previously stated that Terry Rozier allegedly accepted a $100,000 bribe to exit an NBA game early after playing for over nine minutes. This has led to charges for six men in October (two of whom have pleaded guilty). Rozier and Eric Earnest are among the four still set to go to trial. Trial for Rozier, Jones, and Shane Hennen has been set for February 8.

While the Heat player is claiming innocence, Marves Fairley, who allegedly paid Laster after the bet, pleaded guilty in May. In fact, it was Fairley who admitted during his hearing that he agreed to pay Rozier “to change their game performance.”

“Terry Rozier is innocent,” lawyers for Rozier added. “He is a basketball player, not a gambler. He never bet on anything, never agreed to underperform, never did underperform, and did not know that anyone was wagering on his statistics in the Charlotte Hornets’ March 23, 2023, game.”

NBA move for former Heat star will have to wait

Initially, an arbitrator ruled in February 2026 that the NBA could not place Rozier on unpaid leave. However, by May, the arbitrator reversed course. The final decision concluded that Rozier’s strict pretrial release conditions legally prevented him from fulfilling his playing obligations. And since he was unavailable to perform services for the Miami Heat, he had breached his contract. The May 2026 arbitration ruling meant Terry Rozier had to forfeit most of his $26.6 million salary.

Apart from financial pain, the former Heat star was seeking to get back on the hardwood while awaiting trial. The 32-year-old free agent’s hopes came crashing down when U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall denied his request.

Rozier’s legal petition sought to ease strict bail conditions of a $3 million bond he’s on. It also included allowing the former Heat star to practice and play with potential witnesses as long as they don’t talk about the case. But it was denied, citing the impossibility of policing live, on-court dialogue from the sidelines.

The prosecutors allege that Rozier had already violated the terms by texting an individual on the no-contact list. The defense clarified that the text was simply Rozier informing the recipient that they were on the no-contact list.

“What that tells me is that he believes he knows better than the court,” DeArcy Hall said at a hearing in Brooklyn federal court. Rozier, she said, “violated the court’s trust with that text message.”

While his career remains in limbo, Terry Rozier and his lawyers are suggesting that text message evidence would be enough to prove his innocence.