Investigation Launched into Illegal Betting Allegations Involving Terry Rozier of the Heat

Federal prosecutors are examining whether NBA veteran Terry Rozier manipulated his performance as part of an illicit sports betting scheme, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

Rozier, currently a point guard for the Miami Heat, was playing for the Charlotte Hornets during the game in question on March 23, 2023.

The bets placed on Rozier for that game, a 115-96 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, were "peculiar enough" to raise red flags for U.S. Integrity, a company that monitors betting markets for suspicious activity.

U.S. Integrity alerted the NBA and sportsbooks about the unusual wagers placed on Rozier's projected statistics for the game. Although he started the game, he only played for 9:34 due to a foot injury and finished with five points (significantly lower than his average of 21.1 points and 35.3 minutes per game that season).

Rozier, who is now 30 years old, has not been charged with any crimes or accused of any wrongdoing.

A representative for Rozier declined to comment to the Wall Street Journal. The NBA referred all requests for comment to the league.

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass released a statement stating that their own investigation did not uncover any violations of their rules.

"In March 2023, the NBA was made aware of suspicious betting activity related to Terry Rozier's performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans," Bass said. "The league conducted an investigation and found no violations of NBA rules. We are now aware of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and have been cooperating with their investigation."

Rozier, who is currently in his 10th NBA season, is averaging 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 41 games (21 starts) for the Heat.