Beyond the criminal prosecution of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier regarding an alleged gambling scheme arising from the misuse of inside information, a legal fight is pending regarding the NBA’s decision to withhold his salary while the federal charges are pending.
An arbitration hearing on the pay issue will happen on Wednesday, via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Rozier’s salary has been placed into escrow while the criminal case proceeds, with the intent of reclaiming it if/when Rozier is convicted or pleads guilty. The National Basketball Players Association wants Rozier to get his money; his salary for the current season is $26.6 million.
Rozier has denied the allegations made against him.
Winderman also points out that Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, has filed a motion attacking the charges based on the technical application of the federal wiretapping laws. The argument, based on a 2023 case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, is that information isn’t the kind of property interest that falls within the scope of federal wire fraud laws.
It should be no surprise that there will be aggressive efforts to exonerate Rozier, whether based on the facts of the case or the applicable law. A successful attack on the law becomes a much simpler, cheaper, and more efficient way to secure victory than to defend a case all the way through a jury trial.
Still, Rozier’s status with the NBA is separate from the criminal case. Before the league can determine whether Rozier should be suspended or banned, the question of whether he should be getting paid while on leave becomes the first major skirmish.
