Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier’s decade-long NBA career appears to be over following his arrest on federal gambling charges that could land him in prison for up to 40 years. The 31-year-old player, who has earned $161.7 million over 10 NBA seasons, was arrested on October 23, 2025, as part of the FBI’s sweeping “Operation Nothing But Net” investigation into illegal sports betting.
He’s accused of deliberately leaving a game early in 2023 after tipping off his childhood friend about the planned exit, which enabled over $200,000 in fraudulent bets that generated tens of thousands of dollars in profits.
Within hours of the arrest, the NBA issued a statement: “We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
The most significant aspect of this decision is that Rozier’s leave is unpaid. His current salary for the 2024-25 season is $24,924,126. For the 2025-26 season, the final year of his contract, he was set to earn $26,643,031.
None of this money is currently being paid to him, yet.
According to reports, he’s losing approximately $1.11 million per paycheck, with 24 pay instalments scheduled throughout the season beginning November 1, 2025. The money is being held in an escrow-type account. If Rozier is cleared and allowed to return, he would receive the held payments in full. But if the NBA ultimately determines he violated workplace rules, the salary could be wiped from the books entirely.
The National Basketball Players Association has challenged this decision. The union released a statement arguing: “While we are in agreement with the league that upholding the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance, their decision to place Terry on leave without pay is counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We plan to challenge their decision via the proper channels.”
This sets up a potential secondary legal battle between the league and its players’ union over due process rights for accused players.
Federal prosecutors described this as “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalised in the United States.”
The investigation captured 34 defendants across 11 states and uncovered not just NBA betting fraud but also a separate Mafia-backed poker rigging operation that ensnared Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.
For Rozier, known as “Scary Terry” for his clutch playoff performances with the Boston Celtics, the scandal is a catastrophic fall from grace that threatens both his freedom and his financial future.
Tax Problems
If federal gambling charges weren’t enough, Rozier is also dealing with a massive tax problem. The IRS filed a federal tax lien against Rozier on November 1, 2023, in Broward County, Florida, for $8,218,211 related to his 2021 tax year.
The lien corresponds to GMB Chronicles, a California company incorporated in 2024, which lists Rozier as an officer and holds trademark rights to his nickname, “Scary Terry.”
As of late October 2025, there is no lien release on record, despite claims from Rozier’s attorney. Jim Trusty has insisted that the lien is inaccurate: “Terry never owed anyone $8 million. He owed $9,000 of the total $8 million in taxes from 2021, and it has been paid. We just need the IRS to help remove the now-defunct lien.”
In another statement, Trusty claimed the actual amount owed was $3,000, which conflicts with accounts that raise questions about the defence’s credibility. Neither claim has been supported by documentation, and the IRS typically requires 30 days to file a lien release after payment of the debt.
Florida tax attorney Steven N. Klitzner noted that the IRS only files liens after sending multiple past-due notices: “It shouldn’t be a surprise to them.”
This suggests the tax debt was a known problem long before it became public.
The timing is significant; the lien was filed approximately seven to eight months after the alleged March 2023 gambling incident, potentially explaining why Rozier might have been motivated to participate in a betting scheme that promised tens of thousands in quick cash.
This isn’t Rozier’s only financial problem. In August 2022, a construction lien for approximately $271,000 was filed against him in Broward County, related to work on his $5.3 million property in Southwest Ranches, Florida. Rozier paid $250,000 of that debt by July 2023, with the remaining balance status unclear.
These financial troubles paint a picture of a highly paid athlete struggling with money management despite career earnings exceeding $160 million.
Speaking of career earnings, Rozier has made substantial money during his NBA tenure. His confirmed total career earnings amount to $161.7 million over 10 seasons. This breaks down across three teams: approximately $8.77 million with Boston (2015-2019), about $127 million with Charlotte (2019-2024), and roughly $25 million with Miami (2024-present, not including the currently withheld salary).
Beyond his NBA salary, Rozier has earned additional income through endorsements. He signed a multi-year deal with Puma in 2018, following the termination of his previous Adidas contract in 2017. He also co-hosted the Mickstape podcast on Barstool Sports for a time. His primary asset is his Florida home, valued between $5.3 million and $6 million, which is currently posted as collateral for a bond.
Various celebrity net worth websites estimate Rozier’s net worth to be between $12 million and $50 million. However, these are pre-arrest estimates that don’t account for legal costs or lost income.
With potential legal fees exceeding $1-2 million for a federal criminal defence, the possibility of up to $750,000 in fines if convicted, and the loss of his $26.6 million current-season salary plus all future NBA earnings, Rozier’s financial situation is dire despite his substantial career earnings.
What comes next ?
For anyone wondering what happens next to Rozier’s NBA career, the answer lies in the Jontay Porter case from earlier in 2024. Porter was a two-way player for the Toronto Raptors who engaged in remarkably similar conduct. CBSSports.com reported that he disclosed confidential health information to bettors, limited his game participation to influence prop bet outcomes, and even placed 13 bets on NBA games himself, including a bet on the Raptors to lose.
On March 20, 2024, Porter played only three minutes before claiming illness and exiting a game against the Sacramento Kings. An $80,000 parlay bet had been placed on his “unders” that would have won $1.1 million if it hit.
The suspicious activity was immediately flagged. The NBA launched an investigation in late March 2024 and, within one month, on April 17, 2024, banned Porter for life. Commissioner Adam Silver said the “most severe punishment” was warranted for “blatant violations” and emphasised that “there is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition.”
Porter was subsequently charged federally with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He pleaded guilty in July 2024 and is awaiting sentencing in December 2025, with an expected prison term of 41-51 months.
Critically, the NBA banned Porter three months before his guilty plea. The league didn’t wait for a criminal conviction; it acted swiftly based on its own investigation and the integrity threat.
The similarities between Rozier and Porter are striking: both shared insider information with bettors, both manipulated game participation for betting purposes, both involved “under” prop bets, and sportsbook monitoring systems detected both cases.
The key differences —Rozier’s longer career, higher earnings, and allegedly participating in fewer games —are unlikely to save him from the same fate. Article 35 of the NBA Constitution gives the Commissioner “absolute and sole discretion” on gambling-related discipline, including “expulsion” and “perpetual disqualification from the NBA.” These decisions are “final, binding, conclusive and unappealable.”
Rozier faces two federal felony charges. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and § 1349 carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. Conspiracy to commit money laundering under 18 U.S.C. § 1956 carries a maximum of 20 years. The theoretical maximum is 40 years in federal prison, though federal sentencing guidelines would likely result in a more moderate sentence in the 3-10 year range if he’s convicted and doesn’t cooperate. He also faces fines of up to $750,000.
His next court appearance is scheduled for December 8, 2025, in Brooklyn federal court (Eastern District of New York). Eventually, he’ll face a formal arraignment, and if no plea deal is reached, the case will proceed to trial. Federal prosecutors have a conviction rate exceeding 95%, so the odds are not in Rozier’s favour. Two other defendants in the broader investigation are reportedly in plea negotiations, which could provide prosecutors with additional witnesses against Rozier.