The Portland Trail Blazers will not be paying embattled coach Chauncey Billups during his leave of absence from the team, two sources familiar with the process told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Billups was indicted in federal court last week on two counts of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy as part of a sweeping, yearslong investigation by law enforcement agents, who allege that Billups used his celebrity status as a former Hall of Fame player to attract gamblers to a rigged poker game.
The NBA placed Billups on immediate leave shortly after he was arrested at his Lake Oswego home last week, and he is required to secure a substantial bond with the federal court in the Eastern District of New York, where the case against him will be held. During his absence, Billups will forgo his multimillion-dollar salary.
When asked for a request for comment on the matter, the Blazers directed The Oregonian/OregonLive to the NBA office.
ESPN first reported that neither Rozier nor Billups would be paid while suspended. While Rozier’s salary will be held in escrow pending the outcome of the proceedings, one source told The Oregonian/OregonLive there is no such escrow account for Billups’ pay.
The Blazers’ coach, who made roughly $4.7 million last season, was given a substantial raise in April, when he signed a three-year contract extension through the 2027-28 season. If Billups is ultimately exonerated in court — and he has denied the allegations through his attorney — it’s reasonable to assume a path exists for him to recoup some of his lost salary.
Billups was one of 34 people indicted last week in two separate cases that covered 11 states and included tens of millions of dollars, according to law enforcement officials. Prosecutors say Billups was directly linked to one case involving rigged underground poker games that featured former professional athletes, during which the athletes — dubbed “face cards” — enticed gamblers to fixed games and those gamblers were allegedly defrauded out of millions.
Billups also appears indirectly linked to a second case involving a sports-betting scheme that allegedly featured the dissemination of insider information about NBA games. His name did not appear in that case, but his identity matched the description of someone labeled “Co-Conspirator 8.”
The cases included multiple NBA figures and dozens of people outside the league who allegedly have links to the Mafia, including the notorious Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese and Genovese crime families.
The Blazers hired Billups in 2021 to catapult a veteran team to a deep playoff run. Instead, after a series of injuries and trades, the Blazers quickly descended into a multiyear roster rebuild, and Billups — who had never been a head coach before arriving in Portland — ended up guiding a young team chasing lottery picks instead of wins. He owns a 117-212 career coaching record in four-plus seasons.
After accumulating a host of lottery picks and veterans through trades, the Blazers finally entered this season with optimism and a mandate to win rather than chase lottery ping pong balls. But Billups only coached one game, on opening night, before federal agents arrived at his door carrying an arrest warrant.
Billups plans to fight all charges against him, according to his attorney.
“Chauncey Billups has never backed down,” Portland attorney Chris Heywood said last week, via a statement. “He does not plan to do so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Source link
