Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, currently suspended by the NBA after his arrest by the FBI for alleged illegal gambling, will not be paid while the suspension is in force, according to ESPN.
ESPN is reporting that Billups’ paycheck will be withheld and placed in escrow, citing sources. Should Billups be cleared, the money in escrow would be released, and he would receive the accumulated salary. Billups received a contract extension in April, but contract terms were not disclosed.
He reportedly was paid $4.7 million for the 2024-25 season, and presumably has received a raise for the 2025-26 season.
Terry Rozier, currently on the books as a player with the Miami Heat, was also hit with illegal gambling-related charges. Rozier was suspended at the same time as Billups, and his salary will also be kept in escrow pending a favorable resolution to his case. Rozier was slated to earn $26.6 million this season.
Billups has been charged with being involved in illegal and crooked poker games run by organized crime that defrauded players of millions of dollars. While not implicated by name, a person that precisely matches Billups’ description is also listed as an unnamed co-conspirator for making non-public information about the Blazers’ injury report available to people with organized crime connections. This information was allegedly used in placing large bets against the Blazers.
Rozier is alleged to have conspired with others to help them bet correctly on his statistical performance. While previously cleared by the NBA due to lack of evidence, the Department of Justice, with its subpoena powers, has concluded that they have enough evidence to charge Rozier.
