A 2023 game involving the Orlando Magic was flagged by federal prosecutors in the indictment against then-Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier that was released publicly on Thursday.
Federal investigators completed a years-long investigation into betting fraud that ended with the arrest of more than 30 people, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in two separate federal indcitments.
Rozier was arrested in his hotel in Orlando on Thursday morning after the Heat's game against the Magic on Wednesday. He is expected to appear in federal court in Orlando on Thursday before being arraigned in New York next week.
The indictment accuses Rozier of being involved in a wide-ranging scheme where he collaborated with several defendants to fix player props or remove himself from games to ensure prop bets hit.
The indictment alleges the fixing scheme also included games that did not involve Rozier and sought insider information to help inform bets to defraud the betting companies and, by extension, the public.
That is how a Magic game, and at least one player, were drawn into the indictment.
However, it is important to note, neither the Magic as an organization nor the player identified in the indictment are accused of any criminal activity. This was merely a game flagged in the investigation as one one of the defendants charged used insider information to win a bet.
For now, the Magic do not have any indication any current players were involved.
"We are aware of the alleged report. At this time, we have no indication that any current players were involved and we have not been contacted by the authorities," a Magic spokesperson said in a statement. "All members of the Magic organization complete mandatory NBA gambling education and compliance training each season. Integrity and adherence to league rules are of the utmost importance."
The game in question
On April 6, 2023, the Orlando Magic played their final home game of the season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a loss the previous game to the Cavs eliminated the team from playoff contention, there were some questions throughout the day whether the Magic would play their starters.
Still, the Magic were favored by approximately nine points throughout the afternoon.
That is when the indictment alleges one of the defendants leveraged the personal relationship of a former NBA player, identified as "Co-Conspirator 1," had with a Magic starter at the time -- identified as Player 2 in the indictment -- to determine if the starters would play.
The player confirmed he was not playing, and the Co-Conspirator brought it to the defendant. The defendant then used that non-public information to bet on the Cavaliers with the Magic favored by 9.5. The starters sat that game and the Cavs won by 24 points.
The line changed once the Magic announced they were not playing their starters, thus resulting in a fraudulent bet, the indictment alleges.
No criminal involvement
This is a minor detail in a much larger criminal enterprise and outfit.
The implication, though, is that at least one current player on the Orlando Magic was very likely drawn into this indictment unwittingly.
Jalen Suggs was the only starter who played in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, playing 24 minutes before the deep bench players played the majority of the second half that game.
It is important to note that while a Magic game and the Magic's actions to sit their starters are noted in the indictment, there is no allegation of criminal wrongdoing for the team or any of its players. Tanking is not a federal offense, at least in this way.
No Magic player is accused of profiting off this decision or conspiring to fix the game in some way -- the chief charges agianst Rozier. Sharing non-public information is not a crime without the intent to defraud.
The Magic were not the only ones tangentially grabbed into this indictment either.
The indictment further alleged former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones used his personal relationship with an unnamed player on the Los Angeles Lakers to get non-public information about player status for at least two games and coordinated with the defendants to make wagers using this information. Games involving the Toronto Raptors were also flagged in the indictment.
The indictment is focused on the scheme involving Terry Rozier and several defendants for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
It is important to remember that an indictment is just the government's opportunity to present the facts of the case uncontested for probable cause to bring a case. The grand jury agreed.
All of the defendants will have their day in court.
The NBA world was rocked by the public arrests of these key figures. And that is what has drawn some ire from the NBPA. But everyone will get their day in court as this case begins the process in the courts.
"The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence, and both are hindered when player popularity is misused to gain attention," the NBPA said in a statement. "We will ensure our members are protected and afforded their due process rights through this process."
The NBA reportedly has cooperated with the investigation and are taking these charges very seriously. But the next steps are with the U.S. Department of Justice as they bring the case in federal court.