Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III's past might be catching up with him. Two years after initially raising red flags for a potential betting scandal in a game with the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier has not been charged with anything, but is far from out of the woods.
The league initially confirmed that they received a notice of suspicious betting activity on a game in which Rozier left after playing just 10 minutes due to a foot injury. They have since discovered that one specific bettor placed 30 bets within an hour on the day of the game worth over $10,000, all on Rozier to go lower than his player prop lines, according to ESPN's David Purdum.
“A professional bettor placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes, all involving Terry Rozier in a 2023 NBA game,” Purdum wrote. “On the morning of March 23, 2023, a bettor at a sportsbook in Biloxi, Mississippi, placed $13,759 in bets on the unders on Rozier's statistics in a game that night between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans, according to the documents, which ESPN acquired through an open records request. All 30 bets won, after Rozier, an eight-year veteran with the Hornets at the time, exited 10 minutes into the game, citing a foot issue.”
The records indicate that “at least six” sportsbooks received suspicious betting activity on Rozier the same day, but none more than the one bettor who placed his wagers at Harrah's Gulf Coast in Biloxi. Purdum noted that most of the sportsbooks were located in Louisiana and Mississippi. The game was played at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Heat guard Terry Rozier reportedly cleared of betting scandal
Before the new details emerged, Rozier was reportedly cleared of any wrongdoing in the betting scandal. ESPN's Shams Charania announced as such on a June 30 edition of the Pat McAfee Show, only for the situation to seemingly take a 180-degree turn two weeks later.
Charania noted that the situation is now a federal matter, and the NBA is simply complying with the investigation. The Rozier situation is being looked into as part of a large illegal gambling operation, though investigators appear to still be considering all possibilities. Rozier has yet to receive any punishment so far.
Should he be found guilty, Rozier would likely face the same punishment as infamous ex-Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter. The NBA found Porter guilty of leaking gambling information and betting on himself in 2024 and permanently banned him from the league.
