Philly Front Office

[UPDATE: The FBI is also investigating the Toronto Raptors¹ now, meaning my assumption about them being next was right! This could be a very big deal.]

Fresh off a high from the first two nights of the NBA, we have our first scandal of the new season² and it’s a big one. On Thursday morning, the FBI has (so far) arrested Chauncey Billups (the coach of the Portland Trailblazers), Terry Rozier (unplayable space waster of the Miami Heat), and former player and coach Damon Jones for various gambling related offenses. For Billups this allegedly involved poker games with ties to the Mafia and for Rozier it allegedly involves shaving points and faking injuries to hit gambling unders. Here is a look at the possible fallout according to NBA rules.

Terry Rozier

The NBA has specific rules about players actually gambling. Instead of an outlined section in the Collective Bargaining Agreement or in the Uniform Player Contract, you have to look to the NBA Constitution to see that the rules prohibit “offering, agreeing, conspiring, aiding or attempting to cause any game of basketball to result otherwise than on its merits.”³ This includes, “Any Player who, directly or indirectly, wagers money or anything of value on the outcome of any game played by a Team in
the league operated by the Association.”

What does this mean? It means that if you have anything to do with gambling on an NBA game, you are screwed. How screwed? Well, if in the opinion of 1 person, Commissioner Adam Silver, you have done something that damages the reputation of the NBA, like purposely playing bad or faking an injury for gambling purposes, he can singularly hand down punishment. This includes a fine, suspension, or expulsion from the NBA.

Under NBA rules, a player cannot have his contract terminated for simply being arrested. However, based on the facts of that arrest and an investigation by the league it can be determined that a player has violated the terms of his contract and be subject to the penalties above.

Previously, Jontay Porter of the Raptors was arrested and is now awaiting sentencing for tipping off friends of his intention to hit his statistical under on a given night. The plan was to check in, get hurt, and check out. His brother, Michael Porter Jr all but confirmed this type of game manipulation on his podcast claiming that it was an easy way to make your friends 10 grand. Jontay Porter has been banned from the NBA for life.

Terry Rozier is toast. Considering what happened with Porter, the first thing to be done will be to have him suspended indefinitely. While on suspension, he will continue to be paid but at a reduced rate. Rozier is under contract this season (the last of his 4 year deal) for $26.6m. For this, he will lose 1/110th of that salary or $241.8k per game.

I just got a text from a Miami Heat fan friend who is very happy that Rozier is coming off the Heat’s salary cap. Sorry Mike, that’s not how it works. They will only get to reduce the cap hit by 50% of what they are not paying Terry. So, this comes to around $120k per game. Assuming the suspension is given and begins before the Heat play their next game, that will only mean they get to go game-by-game recovering that amount. On the year that adds up to around $10m but it will not be usable right away.⁴

The only way the Heat will get immediate cap help is if the Commissioner decides to void Rozier’s contract. Adam Silver has this authority, but it is not something he can wield willy nilly. A full investigation would be needed to stand up to scrutiny from the Player’s Union. This would not be a quick decision. Too bad for Heat Culture.

Chauncey Billups

That last part about Silver having the power to void a contract, that also goes for coaches. He has the power to void the contract of Chauncey Billups if he chooses. So far Billups has only been charged with participating in illegal poker games. That’s not the issue though. The real problem is the involvement of the Mafia. The NBA will fear that by associating in these circles, Billups has compromised himself and the integrity of the Blazers and the NBA. Is he giving team info to these associates? Is he manipulating games in any way? These are all things that will factor into any punishment that may include the termination of his contract and possible expulsion from the NBA.

The Blazers, on the other hand, can fire Billups if they want to. This next part doesn’t matter to us, but they will then fight about the remaining money on his contract. He recently signed an extension and is thought to make between $5m and $10m per season. That money is usually guaranteed unless you are fired “for cause.” This term is usually specifically defined within a contract but usually means termination for something other than sucking at your job.⁵ This doesn’t concern the salary cap though, so let the billionaires fight with the millionaires over that one.

Damon Jones

No one cares about Damon Jones, but a lesser name in an investigation is usually involved to either snare more criminals or to provide evidence in exchange for leniency. We will see if his involvement changes in the next few weeks.

More to Come?

As the NBA season wound down last year, the Toronto Raptors were doing something very peculiar. They would sit their best players in crunch time in a naked but unconfirmed attempt to lose games to improve their Draft Lottery odds. I was apoplectic about this not only because the Sixers were racing the Raptors to the bottom of the standings, but also it seemed like game manipulation to me. The NBA claimed this was fine despite it being shady as all hell. Now I am not accusing the Raptors having Mafia ties, but what the hell is the difference in this compared to a player doing this on his own accord? This is a very slippery slope. If I were to bet (lol) on the next scandal, it would be this one as the current season winds down.

1. They technically said the “Toronto Rangers” but still ↩︎
2. not to be confused with the Clippers Kawhi scandal that occurred in the offseason ↩︎
3. NBA Constitution ↩︎
4. For anyone looking to play gotcha with me later on the amount, please note that suspensions under 20 games come with a 1/145th penalty. I don’t know if they prorate that for indefinite suspensions though so the numbers might be a little off ↩︎
5. “Sucking at your job” is a legal term obviously ↩︎