NBA Stars Face Pay Freeze Amid Gambling Scandal

Terry Rozier, the Miami Heat's guard, is in hot water. He's not getting paid while he's on leave because of his recent arrest. This is all because of some serious gambling charges. The Heat are holding onto his $26. 6 million salary until the legal mess is sorted out. If he's cleared, he might get that money back. But for now, it's on hold. Meanwhile, Chauncey Billups, the Portland Trail Blazers' coach, is also in the same boat. He's on leave and not getting paid either. His contract runs until at least 2027, but right now, it's all about the legal drama. Rozier's lawyer says there's a mix-up with his taxes. The IRS put a lien on him for over $8 million, but his lawyer says that's not the real amount. He claims Rozier only owed about $9, 000, which has been paid. But the lien is still there, causing more trouble. The charges against Rozier are pretty serious. He's accused of helping some people win bets based on his performance in a game. This is similar to what happened with Jontay Porter, who got banned from the NBA last year. The NBA is now looking at how they handle injury reports and other sensitive info. The NBA is under fire from lawmakers too. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell want to know how the league handled the allegations and why Rozier was allowed to keep playing. It's a big mess, and everyone's watching to see what happens next.