Category: Basketball

NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Heat player Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he helped gamblers placing bets on his performance in NBA games.

The 31-year-old point guard formally entered the plea during his arraignment in federal court in Brooklyn on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, and was released on $3 million bond secured by his home in Florida and another property. Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

He was also instructed not to gamble, have firearms or to have any contact with victims, co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Rozier, who's from Ohio, additionally surrendered his passport and was restricted to traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York unless granted prior approval.

Rozier, wearing a gray suit, didn’t speak in court other than to answer the judge’s “yes” or “no” questions.

He declined to comment afterward, but his lawyer, Jim Trusty, said his client was “excited” to begin mounting his defense against the charges.

Trusty said at a hearing later with the five other defendants in the case that he would soon be filing a motion to dismiss the case based on constitutional grounds.

He also urged the judge to proceed with the case on “speedy” timeline, saying Rozier is dealing with “multiple layers of litigation,” including arbitration with the NBA.

But U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall brushed those concerns aside, saying “arbitration with the league is of no concern for me.”

She set the next hearing in the case for March 3 after hearing from prosecutors that they would soon be handling over “voluminous” amounts of evidence to defense lawyers, including an initial set of 1,000 documents and more than 55 gigabytes of data.

More than 30 people have been arrested in the sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports, including several Mafia figures. Portland Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty in a separate scheme to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed illegal poker games.

Prosecutors say Rozier informed the bettors that he intended to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars.

Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.

The other NBA figure ensnared in the investigation is Damon Jones, who pleaded not guilty last month to charges he provided sports bettors with nonpublic information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis while serving as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season. Jones, a former NBA player, is also indicted along with Billups and others in the separate poker scheme.

Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their teams as their court cases play out.

Rozier has earned about $160 million over a 10-year NBA career. He was a first-round pick for the Boston Celtics in 2015 after starring at the University of Louisville. Charlotte traded him to the Heat last year.

We are six days away from Dec. 15, when the official start of the NBA Trade season begins (although much more happens once general managers from around the league gather in Orlando for the G-League Showcase Dec. 19-22). With that, the trade talk is ramping up around the league. Here are some of the latest rumors.

Anthony Davis

The Eastern Conference feels more wide-open than ever, which has three teams — Detroit, Toronto and Atlanta — thinking they are one move away from contending. That has them eyeing Anthony Davis, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Pistons (19-5), Raptors (15-10) and Hawks (14-11) represent high-level threats in their conference and are having seasons that give hope that a player like Davis -- a 10-time All-Star who has spent his entire career in the Western Conference -- can elevate them into a viable championship-quality team.

Detroit also has been linked to Utah's Lauri Markkanen — who would be a better fit — on the theory that the team is looking for another shot creator and scorer at the four, to play off Cade Cunningham and next to the breakout center Jalen Duren. A Detroit trade for AD would be centered on Tobias Harris to balance salaries, plus picks and younger players.

Atlanta was hoping to get a boost from Kristaps Porzingis as a pick-and-pop five and rim protector next to Trae Young, but that has yet to happen in part due to injuries. Davis could slide into that role and Poringis' expiring salary plus a young player and picks could head back to Dallas. That said, Atlanta reportedly wants to assess what its roster looks like when Young returns from his sprained MCL, likely later this month. Toronto plays an up-tempo, five-out system with Jakob Poeltl as the big man. Davis would be an upgrade to that and push a team that is a surprising 15-10 and fourth in the East into another tier.

For all of these teams, they need to think about Davis' next contract extension — the 32-year-old Davis is eligible for and wants one after this season, and while he's not going to get the max (four years, $275 million) he's going to make $50+ million a season. Do teams want to sign up for multiple years of a mid-30s player with a lengthy history of nagging injuries at that price?

Klay Thompson/Daniel Gafford

Dallas' interim co-general managers — Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi — are open to trading more than just Davis, Charania reports.

The Mavericks are open to exploring the trade markets for Davis, center Daniel Gafford and guards Klay Thompson and D'Angelo Russell, sources said.

Gafford is the name we hear most around league circles as in demand — a rim-protecting, pick-and-roll big who had a real connection with Luka Dončić on the court (which is why the Lakers come up as a possible suitor, although good luck finding a Dallas GM who would make another trade with the Lakers). Gafford could help any team that runs a lot of pick-and-rolls.

The market for Thompson is smaller — he's a big name and a future Hall of Famer, but not the same player at this point in his career — but shooters who understand floor spacing always have a place. The market for Russell would be limited, but there are teams seeking depth at the one.

These three are people to watch, they may be more likely to be on the move than the massive contract of Davis.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

While Charanaia's sources are telling him "the writing is on the wall" with an Antetokounmpo trade, league sources NBC Sports speaks with are still hesitant to say a deal will happen before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Antetokounmpo being sidelined for a few weeks with a calf strain has quieted the talk somewhat, but the core of the situation has not changed, according to league sources. The two big questions remain:

1) Will Antetokounmpo officially, formally, forcefully ask for a trade? The Bucks are not going to trade Antetokounmpo until he makes them. To make them do that by the deadline, Antetokounmpo has to be the bad guy and loudly ask for a trade (meaning his agent tells the Bucks that and makes sure it leaks to the media). Antetokounmpo pushed the Bucks to talk to the Knicks last summer, but that came late in the summer (after the Mikal Bridges extension), and with only one team, there was no deal to be made.

Just remember that Antetokounmpo has another, more passive path out of Milwaukee: Tell them next summer he will not sign an extension with the team. That has the same effect — the Bucks would have to trade him instead of risking losing him for nothing — but he can spin that he never asked for a trade. That and the fact that getting Antetokounmpo to a place he wants to be during the season — in a fair deal for both sides — is next to impossible in a tax apron era. Which is why a trade in the offseason is more likely.

2) Will the Bucks try to get Antetokounmpo where he wants to go, or will they take the best offer for them? Antetokounmpo has a well-reported fascination with playing for the Knicks and competing for a title with them. Putting aside questions of how well he would fit next to Jalen Brunson for now, the simple fact is a lot of teams — Atlanta, San Antonio, Houston and others — could put together much better trade returns for the Bucks than the Knicks could. Those teams have young players and a lot of draft picks to help a rebuilding team. If Antetokounmpo asks out, how big is his list of preferred teams? He is only going to end up in New York if he forces that to happen by saying that is the only place he would sign an extension (and even then, a team could take a one-year swing like the Raptors did with Kawhi Leonard in 2018-19).

Jonathan Kuminga

When Kuminga earned a DNP-CD from Steve Kerr on Sunday, it sparked another round of trade rumors for the fifth-year forward. It's no secret that the Warriors are open to trading him — they pushed him into a contract extension designed to be dealt: Two years, $46.8 million, with a team option on the second year.

Kuminga is averaging 12.4 points and 6.3 rebounds a game this season in what has been a roller coaster of a season for him. Teams will be willing to take a flyer on him, and it will be interesting to see after Jan. 15 — the day he becomes eligible to be traded — which teams step up and explore the idea. Over the summer it was the Kings and Suns, but things look different for both of those teams now and their interest level may not be the same.

LeBron James

LeBron is only on this list to squash the speculation about any potential trade. Much like Antetokounmpo, the only way LeBron would have been traded at the deadline was if he demanded it publicly, and his agent, Rich Paul, told Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast that it is not happening. Paul was unequivocal that LeBron will be on the Lakers at the end of this season.

This summer, when LeBron becomes a free agent, things get interesting. For now, the Lakers and LeBron are going to chase another NBA Cup title and, after that, an NBA title this season (although Paul said in that same interview he does not think these Lakers are contenders or have enough to make the Western Conference Finals).

Domantas Sabonis/Zach LaVine/DeMar DeRozan

The Kings have come to realize it's time to pivot away from the roster that broke their playoff drought, but one that had a real ceiling (the Kings have long been the, well, kings of short-term front office thinking, such as trading Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis). With that, all the big names are on the table, Charania reports.

They are open-minded about trade talks throughout the roster, sources said. Teams are monitoring veterans Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, along with 25-year-old guard Keon Ellis.

There is more buzz about Sabonis than the other two big names, a lot of teams could use a scoring and rebounding big. Ellis, the 25-year-old fourth-year guard who is a plus defender, has a lot of fans around the league and any team taking on one of the old-guard players will want Ellis thrown in the deal.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

The NBA docket is a bit less busy this week, with the NBA In-Season Tournament on the horizon. Players won’t be on the floor quite as much this week, which makes for a good time to pinpoint some guys that are trending in either direction.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Time to add Maxime “Mad Max” Raynaud

Raynaud has emerged as a legitimate backup big, and he should remain in the starting lineup until Domantas Sabonis returns.

• Zak Hanshew,

STOCK UP

Derrick White — PG/SG, Celtics

Small sample size here, but White’s been outstanding to begin December — in four games, his 24.5 points per game on 51.4/ 40.8/ 80.0 shooting splits have been significantly better than his lower-scoring, inefficient-shooting October and November. What’s stood out most is White’s 12.3 three-point attempts per game! With him hitting threes at a high rate, the production from beyond the arc has brought incredible value from a fantasy basketball perspective, as have his recent bumps in rebounds and assists. Hopefully, this type of production is here to stay, now that White may be adjusting well to his role as one of the Celtics’ go-to scorers. Stock way up!

Kevin Porter Jr. — PG/SG, Bucks

Between the Game 1 injury and Ryan Rollins’ immediate ascension that followed, it’s likely that Porter Jr. became an afterthought to many folks from a fantasy basketball perspective. Well, he’s been back for a bit more than one week and has already become Milwaukee’s most productive player. In the five games since his return, KPJ is averaging 24.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.4 steals on 55.6/ 61.3/ 88.0 shooting splits, which includes a couple of 30-point outings with at least five three-pointers made. Whatever questions fantasy managers may have had about Porter Jr.’s reintegration and fit alongside Rollins, they should now have answers.

Dylan Harper — PG/SG, Spurs

It took a couple of games for Harper to find his rhythm, as well as his fit off the bench, in his return from an early-season calf injury. He’s been productive in the five games since, however, tallying at least 15 points in four of those five contests, while logging five assists or more in four consecutive games. The rookie guard most recently amassed a career-high 22 points against the Pelicans and dropped in a smooth-looking game-winning layup with his off hand to end the night. Whether it be his minutes, production, or confidence, everything seems to be trending in a positive direction for Harper, who’ll likely improve with more reps under his belt. Like many of the Spurs’ players, his ceiling is high.

STOCK DOWN

Myles Turner — C, Bucks

It’s been a rough go for the Bucks, who are struggling to find an identity or put together wins with or without their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Regardless of the former Finals MVP’s availability, the supporting cast has been inconsistent lately — specifically, Turner. The prized offseason addition hasn’t secured more than three rebounds in a game since November 26 against the Heat, and has scored more than 12 points just once over that period. He’s also playing fewer than 24.0 minutes per game since the start of December and finds himself in an unpredictable spot just over a quarter of the way through his debut season in Milwaukee. Things could always get better as the season progresses, but vibes aren’t currently high, and neither is Turner’s productivity.

De’Andre Hunter — SF/PF, Cavaliers

Hunter’s gone cold of late as the Cavaliers have rotated wins and losses over their last five games. He’s failed to score in double figures in two of those five games, with his high being 13 points. The seventh-year forward has also tallied exactly three rebounds in each of the past five games and totaled nine assists over that time, leading to minimal fantasy production recently. Hunter could use a big game in the near future to get him back on track, but until he does, his stock will remain down.

Reed Sheppard — PG/SG, Rockets

There was a 10-game stretch not long ago in which Sheppard averaged 17.1 points and 3.0 threes per game, including a 31-point masterpiece to carry the Rockets to a road win over the Warriors that marked the moment of his young career thus far. And just when it looked as though the second-year guard was about to take off, Kevin Durant returned from injury to reclaim his high production and make Sheppard’s contributions less necessary in the five games since. As a result, Sheppard is down to 9.0 points per game and has played fewer minutes than Aaron Holiday, the current backup point guard, in three of the last five games. Sheppard’s still having a nice sophomore season, but it’s tough to say whether he’ll reach those early-season heights again anytime soon.

We have reached the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the eight-team knockout round — now things get serious. Especially for the players on those teams, because the money is now very real.

"I think half a million dollars is still a good amount of money to be able to motivate you to want to win games," the Lakers' Jake LaRavia told NBC Sports recently.

Here is everything you need to know about the NBA Cup quarterfinals matchups on Tuesday and Wednesday, and what happens from there.

What’s the NBA Cup 2025 format?

This is the one thing that has remained largely the same through the three years of the NBA Cup. First, all 30 teams were drawn into one of the six five-team groups (three East groups and three West groups). Each team plays the other teams in its group once — four games total — and those games count double as both regular-season and NBA Cup games.

The six group winners plus a wild card from each conference advance to the quarterfinals, where we are now. Those teams are placed in an eight-team knockout bracket (East vs. East, West vs. West, until the Finals). Starting with Tuesday's games, they are single-elimination.

What are the quarterfinals matchups?

Eastern Conference

Dec. 9 (on Amazon Prime)

Miami Heat at Orlando Magic

Game Analysis: After a slow start to their season, Orlando found its footing just as the NBA Cup got rolling. Not only did the Magic sweep into the quarterfinals, but it also comes in hot, having gone 7-3 in their last 10 with a top-10 offense and defense over that stretch. However, the Magic will enter the game without their best player this season, Franz Wagner, who suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday.

Miami has been one of the great surprises of the season, with Erik Spoelstra flipping the Heat offense on its head, putting in an up-tempo, fast-decision offense that shuns picks in favor of isolation attacks. The good news is that the Heat are basically healthy for this game, with Norman Powell and Tyler Herro ready to go. The bad news is they come in cold having dropped three in a row, and in the past couple of weeks their defense and offense have fallen off.

New York Knicks at Toronto Raptors

Game Analysis: Watch the tempo of this game to get a clue how it is going. Toronto wants to run — it starts more of its possessions in transition than any team in the league, and it's got the athletes who can finish in space with Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley. Toronto relies on a pressure defense to fuel its transition offense, but when forced into the half-court, it banks on Brandon Ingram and his midrange game to power things (Toronto as a team loves the midrange).

The Knicks will run when they get the chance, but this is the team with the league's sixth-best first-shot half-court offense behind Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York comes in red hot, having won 7-of-8.

Western Conference

Dec. 10 (on Amazon Prime)

Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder

Game Analysis: Oklahoma City has been a juggernaut so far this season — 23-1 with a 15.9 net rating that is on pace to set an NBA record. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets the headlines — he appears the early frontrunner to repeat as MVP — and they have Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, but what really drives the Thunder is their league-best defense. OKC's 104.1 defensive rating is 6.5 points per 100 possessions better than any team in the league.

That said, just more than a week ago the Suns gave the Thunder all they could handle in a 123-119 loss. Phoenix has been one of the great stories of the young season and three people deserve a lot of credit for that. One is coach Jordan Ott, who, in his first season, has given this team an identity — which starts with an aggressive, pressing defense — and has them playing hard every night (something the Suns didn't do consistently over the past couple of years). The second is Dillon Brooks, who came to Phoenix this summer in the Kevin Durant trade as a defensive stopper and an energy and intensity guy, but is breaking out on offense averaging 22.3 points per game. The other is Devin Booker, who remains one of the best two guards in the game, but his status for this game is questionable.

San Antonio at Los Angeles Lakers

Game Analysis: The big question heading into this one is whether Victor Wembanyama returns to play for the Spurs. He has been practicing with the team, but there is no word from the team (as of this writing), and the reports out of San Antonio make it sound like Wemby may sit this one out, too (Stephon Castle did return Monday night). San Antonio has gone 8-3 with Wembanyama out (calf strain), and in that time, the Spurs have gotten All-Star-level scoring and leadership from De'Aaron Fox, and keep an eye on rookie Dylan Harper, who has been brilliant.

The Lakers have been one of the best teams in the West, led by Luka Doncic playing at an MVP level, Austin Reaves proving he is ready to be a second scoring option, and LeBron James returning and fitting in, doing whatever the team needs to win on a given night. One thing to watch: the Lakers are 8-0 in clutch games this season (within five points in the final five minutes).

When are the NBA Cup quarterfinals, Finals?

Here is the schedule for the quarterfinals and beyond:
Quarterfinals: Dec. 9 and 10
Semifinals: Dec. 13 (Las Vegas)
Championship: Dec. 16 (Las Vegas)

NBA Cup 2025 odds

Here are the odds for the eight teams remaining to win the NBA Cup, via our partners at DraftKings:

Oklahoma City (-120)
New York (+475)
Los Angeles Lakers (+500)
Orlando (+1200)
Miami (+1200)
Toronto (+1400)
San Antonio (+1800)
Phoenix (+9000)

How much money does the champion get?

As the Lakers' LaRavia said above, the prize money motivates the players — and every roster player in the quarterfinals will get a bonus check out of this. However, they all have their eyes on the big prize.

How big? This is how the payouts break down:

• Each player on the team that wins the championship: $530,933
• Each player on the team that loses in the championship: $212,373
• Each player on a team that loses in the semifinals: $106,187
• Each player on a team that loses in the quarterfinals: $53,093

Who won the 2024 NBA Cup?

Milwaukee bounced back from an ugly 2-8 start to the season to find its footing in NBA Cup games and went on a run behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. He lifted them to the Cup Finals against Oklahoma City, where Antetokounmpo had a 26-point triple-double, completely controlling the game on both ends of the court.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

Considering how it looked when the injury happened, this is good news.

An MRI revealed Orlando's Franz Wagner has suffered a high ankle sprain, the team announced Monday.

While the Magic would not put a timetable on his return, ESPN's Shams Charania announced 2-4 weeks, which is in line with what Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes has found in his database of injuries, players usually miss about 10 games with a high ankle sprain, but that time can vary.

The injury occurred near the end of the first quarter on Sunday, when the Magic were in Madison Square Garden facing the Knicks. During a fast break, New York big man Ariel Hukporti flew in to block a pass to Wagner, and the German went to the ground and instantly grabbed his left knee. He had to be helped off the court.

Wagner has played at an All-Star level this season, averaging 23.4 points and 6.2 rebounds a game while shooting 35.4% from 3-point range. He exits the lineup just as Paolo Banchero returns from his groin strain.

Wagner will be out Tuesday when the Magic host the Miami Heat in an NBA Cup quarterfinal game, with a trip to Las Vegas on the line.