The Portland Trail Blazers have announced that assistant coach Milt Palacio has been placed on administrative leave due to his indictment for an alleged health insurance fraud scheme involving 18 former NBA players.
Portland released a statement acknowledging Palacio's involvement in the matter following Thursday's practice.
“We are aware of charges as they have become publicly available in the alleged health insurance fraud case. Milt Palacio, a Trail Blazers assistant coach and former NBA player, was among those indicted in the case. Palacio has been placed on administrative leave by the organization, pending further notice. The investigation is independent of the Trail Blazers organization and we will have no further comment at this time.”
Palacio, fifth on Chauncey Billups' bench behind Scott Brooks, Roy Rogers, Steve Hetzel and Edniesha Curry, was introduced as a member of the Blazers' coaching staff in early August. He was an assistant coach with the G-League's Long Island Nets from 2018-2020, his first foray into the world of NBA coaching.
Palacio played seven seasons in the league with six different teams from 1999 to 2006, finishing his playing career overseas in 2013. He averaged 4.8 points and 2.5 assists in 17.9 minutes per game during his NBA career, largely serving as a reserve point guard.
According to federal authorities in New York, Palacio is one of 18 former players who defrauded the league's health and wellness benefit plan for players no longer in the NBA. The alleged scheme took place from at least 2017 to 2020, with the players in question reporting $4 million in false claims, $2.5 million of which was doled out among them.
Darius Miles, Sebastian Telfair and Ruben Patterson were also among the players with ties to Portland named in the indictment.
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