Correction: A previous version misidentified the prior NBA player implicated in a gambling case. It was Jontay Porter.
Terry Rozier
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Heat guard Terry Rozier sabotaged his production while with the Hornets for gambling purposes, according to Jared Diamond, Louise Radnofsky and Robert O'Connell of The Wall Street Journal. Authorities believe the same people who schemed with Jontay Porter had inside information that prompted them to bet against Rozier, per The Wall Street Journal.
At the center of suspicion: The March 23, 2023 Hornets-Pelicans game. Rozier left in the first quarter with what Charlotte called "foot discomfort." With Rozier playing just nine minutes, all his under props hit – to the delight of the people who allegedly bet large sums of money on his unders.
This game caused a stir among gamblers at the time. Rozier was not on the injury report entering the game. However, sportsbooks took down his individual props beforehand.
The NBA announced it already investigated and found no violation of NBA rules and would cooperate with the federal investigation.
The NBA doesn't have the investigative resources of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. But it's also fair to question whether the NBA wants to find proof its games are manipulated for gambling.
Unusual betting patterns against Rozier alone would be suspicious. But that the heavy betting came from the same people now known to work with an NBA player (Porter) to manipulate games looks even more incriminating for Rozier.
Unlike Porter, Rozier is not a fringe player. Rozier is in his 10th NBA season. He has averaged 20 points per game multiple times. He has earned more than $120 million in the league.
If Rozier is found to have conspired with gamblers to alter games, that'd be a far-larger scandal.
Charlotte Hornets
There are many people who could've known Terry Rozier was banged up March 23, 2023, would try to play but would get a quick hook if hurting. Charlotte was 23-50, the type of losing team that commonly shuts down players. Rozier missed the next/final eight games of the season.
Rozier should be questioned. So should the Hornets. Why wasn't he on the injury report? If he had no prior physical issues, that'd cast suspicion on Rozier. But if Rozier were ailing and Charlotte failed to disclose it, that's a violation in itself.
Just because the gamblers spoke directly to Jontay Porter, they could have obtained information through methods other than talking to players. Again, there are so many people who could've known Rozier's true status then fed that information to bettors.
Especially because Rozier wasn't on the injury report.
Injury reports exist to avoid situations like this. The NBA should ensure teams file their injury reports will full transparency.
Again, maybe Rozier was not hurt entering the game and either this is completely on him or there was no wrongdoing at all. But the pool of people who potentially leveraged inside information for gambling is way wider than only Rozier.
Greg Ehrenberg
On the day of the dubious Terry Rozier game (March 23, 2023), Greg Ehrenberg posted a photo of a successful Rozier under-6.5-assists bet with:
"At least I was in on it today. Got lucky that I was fed some inside info that Rozier was leaving in the first or second quarter (depending on game flow and live lines) so that his unders would hit."
"Follow the right people to know when guys are leaving games early with "injuries'"
That looks damning!
I also believe it was sarcastic. Ehrenberg commonly mocks people for believing sports are rigged. That's why he was quoting someone saying Ehrenberg would "have the time of his life" with the all the suspicion on sportsbooks pulling Rozier's lines then the guard leaving the game early.
It just happens to be that this joke lines up with a federal investigation.
Miami Heat
Miami is $13 million over the luxury-tax line. Terry Rozier's salary is $25 million.
Miami projects to be $10 million over the luxury-tax line next season. Rozier's salary next season is $27 million.
You better believe the Heat will cooperate with the investigation.
Jimmy Butler
The Heat were "baiting" Jimmy Butler by calling the team together at practice then telling him in front of everyone he'd be coming off the bench behind Haywood Highsmith, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Butler took the bait, leaving practice, prompting his current suspension.
The Heat are treating Butler poorly because they believe he's treating them poorly. Butler is treating the Heat poorly because he believes they're treating him poorly.
What an unproductive and off-putting cycle – especially by two sides that previously bragged how unbothered they were by disagreement.
He has to get traded.
All-Stars
I've already posted my All-Star picks. Who will actually make it?
Reserve-picking coaches have gotten less predictable. Mostly because injuries have warped the field. Partially because we have better measures of player quality, but some coaches still rely on the same old standards (how many All-Stars a team deserves based on its spot in the standings, players' most-basic stats).
So my All-Star odds this year are quite flat, with only one absolute lock:
East
- Evan Mobley 85%
- Damian Lillard 75%
- Cade Cunningham 65%
- Jaylen Brown 60%
- Darius Garland 60%
- Pascal Siakam 55%
- Tyrese Haliburton 50%
- Trae Young 50%
- Tyler Herro 45%
- Jarrett Allen 35%
- Tyrese Maxey 35%
- LaMelo Ball 30%
- Nikola Vucevic 15%
- Zach LaVine 15%
- Bam Adebayo 15%
- Derrick White 5%
- Jalen Johnson 3%
- Franz Wagner 2%
West
- Anthony Davis 100%
- Victor Wembanyama 98%
- Anthony Edwards 75%
- Jaren Jackson Jr. 65%
- Domantas Sabonis 55%
- Ja Morant 50%
- Kyrie Irving 50%
- Alperen Sengun 50%
- Luka Doncic 45%
- Devin Booker 45%
- Jalen Williams 40%
- James Harden 17%
- De'Aaron Fox 5%
- Fred VanVleet 2%
- Norman Powell 2%
- Ivica Zubac 1%
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans' over/under this season was 46.5.
At their current rate, they'll get there a quarter of the way through the 2026-27 season.
New Orleans became the fourth-quickest team on record* to clinch its under – just 48 games into the season – by falling to 12-36 with a loss to the Mavericks last night.
The only teams teams on record* to clinched an under in an 82-game season before Game 50:
*Via Sports odds history: Every team since since 1999-00 plus 1997-98, 1996-97 and 1993-94 and some teams in 1995-96
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's first career 50-point game was a long time coming.
He already has his second.
Just a week after he dropped 54 on Dallas, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 52 in the Thunder's loss to the Warriors last night.
Only Antawn Jamison (who scored 51 points in consecutive 2000 games) and Gilbert Arenas (who did it five days apart in 2006) went from their first to second career 50-point game more quickly.
For the record for fastest from first to third career 50-point game (held by Arenas), Gilgeous-Alexander has until Feb. 21, Oklahoma City's first game after the All-Star break.
Not sure Gilgeous-Alexander will chase that record, though. The Thunder are 0-2 with him scoring 50 but had won seven straight and 22 of 23 in his most recent stretch of scoring less. Though perhaps Gilgeous-Alexander taking over the offense gave Oklahoma City its best chance in those specific games, he said yesterday, "Maybe my 52 points tonight wasn't in the best interest of the team."
Two-day draft
The NBA will again hold a two-day draft – this time in prime time. The first round will be Wednesday, June 25 and the second round Thursday, June 26, with TV coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET both nights.
Last year, the second round began in the afternoon due to a presidential debate that night.
League executives gave mostly positive, though occasionally sharply negative, reviews of the two-day draft. Moved into what would presumably be its timeslot going forward if it sticks, the two-day draft this year will get assessed by a far-more-important group:
The viewing public.
Zach LaVine
Video of us negotiating the Zach LaVine trade in the Mock Trade Deadline:
-Dan Feldman