NBA commissioner says gambling scandal outcome timeline ‘out of our hands’

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that the gambling scandal which has rocked the league this season is “essentially out of our hands.”

“These are federal indictments in the case of Terry Rozier in Brooklyn, New York, the eastern district of New York,” Silver said before the NBA Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena. “We had investigated him at some point earlier.

“We had not found sufficient evidence to discipline him under the rules of the league and then at some point that investigation was taken over by federal authorities. So, as I said, it’s in their hands.”

Earlier this year, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were among a group of people arrested regarding a pair of gambling operations related to illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia.

Silver said the timing is not up to the league for the next steps in the legal proceedings against Rozier, Billups and Jones.

The federal investigation also yielded alleged potential incidents involving others with NBA ties, that league officials weren’t aware of previously, Silver said.

“There were also references to other players, other incidents, as been reported,” he said. “Much of that information was new to us and so in essence on a parallel path with the federal authorities. We are using whatever investigative power we have to look into those incidents as well.”

The league still is working toward what, if any, salary-cap relief the Heat might receive tied to Rozier and his nearly $27 million contract, which accounts for about 17 percent of Miami’s cap.

“He (Rozier) hasn’t been convicted of anything yet either,” Silver said. “This is an unfortunate cirumstance. Sometimes there’s these unique events and maybe sometimes they require unique solutions.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.