Silver Says NBA Is Taking Gambling Scandal Seriously, May Look Into

LAS VEGAS (AP) - It is critical for the NBA to be perceived as having stability, Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday, adding that the betting scandals that caused the arrests of Miami guard Terry Rozier, Portland coach Chauncey Billups and others are being taken with the utmost seriousness.


Silver's comments in a press conference soon before the start of the NBA Cup final were his very first since Rozier, Billups and others were jailed in October. He spoke in Las Vegas, a gambling capital that the league has actually used for major events like the Cup final and Summer League for a long time.


"I believe the fans care a lot," Silver said. "It ´ s tough to make judgments, either anecdotally over what some fans are saying or what ´ s even on social networks. Fans certainly care. And I suggest it when I state, if this video game isn ´ t saw as being sincere and the competitors being on the level and at the greatest integrity, in time we will lose our fan base. I believe about that. Therefore, I take it exceptionally seriously."


The NBA is not exactly sure how long the examinations and legal procedures surrounding gambling charges dealt with by Rozier, Billups - a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee - and others will take to be completed, Silver said.


But the league will look into the possibility of offering Miami some sort of "acceptable relief" since Rozier presently can ´ t play, Silver added, though he stopped short of stating such a relocation would be possible.


"This is an unmatched situation," Silver said.


Miami Heat's Terry Rozier, right, leaves Brooklyn federal court, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in New york city. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)


It ´ s a multi-layered concern for the league and the Heat, considered that Rozier ´ s$26.6 million salary uses up about 17 % of the team ´ s cap area - which the team still owes Charlotte a first-round pick in either 2027 or 2028 to please the terms of the trade that brought Rozier to Miami. It ´ s uncertain who was mindful that Rozier was under federal investigation when the Heat made the trade with the Hornets.


Rozier pleaded not guilty earlier this month to wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges originating from allegations that he helped some friends win bets that revolved around his statistical efficiency in a video game played in March 2023, when he was with Charlotte. Rozier is totally free on $3 million bond and isn ´ t expected back in court until March, and he stays on unpaid leave from the Heat.


Prosecutors say Rozier informed the bettors that he intended to leave the video game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to put wagers earning them 10s of thousands of dollars. Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the video game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play once again that season and was consequently traded to the Heat.


Rozier isn ´ t receiving his pay, however his income is still on the Heat ´ s books and is being sent to an interest-bearing account pending resolution of his case or some other agreement.


"We ´ re going to attempt to work something through, work this out with them," Silver said. "But there ´ s no obvious solution here. I would just say that there ´ s no doubt at the minute they have a gamer that can ´ t carry out services for them. ... Obviously, he hasn ´ t been convicted of anything yet either - but this is a regrettable scenario. Sometimes there ´ s these unique occasions and perhaps sometimes they require an unique service."


Billups likewise pleaded not guilty last month to charges related to a separate plan to repair high-stakes, Mafia-backed poker video games. Rozier, Billups and previous NBA guard Damon Jones were among more than 30 including numerous Mafia figures - arrested in October as part of a vast federal takedown of unlawful betting operations linked to pro sports.


The league requires annual training for gamers, coaches and personnel about what's enabled and what isn't allowed relating to betting, which is now legal in the majority of states. Silver notoriously promoted legalization of sports wagering in an op-ed he composed for The New York Times in 2014.


The circumstances with Rozier and Billups have led to a mission for even heightened awareness, Silver stated. The league is likewise taking a look at how finest to ensure prop bets based entirely on a gamer's statistical performance - like the ones made on Rozier ´ s March 2023 video game - can be performed fairly.


"We ´ ve been enhancing our efforts at the league workplace, dealing with our teams, looking at every element of our guidelines around sports wagering," Silver stated. "Exist much better ways to educate the participants? Are there alters we should make in how injuries are reported? ... We remain in the procedure as I stated right now and dealing with our groups considering anything else we can be doing, if there ´ s any aspect of our system that requires to be supported."