The federal indictment of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in a gambling investigation came several months after the NBA veteran was first implicated in the scheme, but the indictment of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups as part of a second scheme blindsided the basketball world on Thursday.
While Rozier’s charges focus on his alleged role in tampering with NBA games, Billups was charged in a separate scheme involving illegal poker games tied to the mafia. According to U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr., who spoke Thursday morning, Billups was part of a poker operation that collectively swindled victims out of millions of dollars using high-tech cheating mechanisms.
Billups, now in his fifth season as head coach of the Trail Blazers, will make his first court appearance on Thursday, less than 24 hours after he coached Portland’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The question now is whether Billups will ever coach the Trail Blazers again.
Here’s what you need to know about Billups’ job status after his federal indictment.
MORE: Live updates on NBA federal gambling investigation
Will Trail Blazers fire Chauncey Billups?
The Trail Blazers have yet to comment on Billups’ arrest, which was first reported before 6 a.m. local time in Portland, but the NBA placed him on immediate leave on Thursday.
The league did not place a timeline on Billups’ leave, but it will take him off the sidelines in Portland indefinitely.
NBA statement on Billups and Rozier being placed on leave from their respective teams: https://t.co/Bm1rC3Jwq1 pic.twitter.com/aoXqj4IEAL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2025
It isn’t clear whether the Trail Blazers had any awareness that Billups was under federal investigation. The Hall of Fame point guard signed a contract extension in April after overseeing a 15-win year-to-year improvement and coached Wednesday’s opener against the Timberwolves.
While the indictment does not allege that Billups tampered with or bet on NBA games in any way, the charges are serious enough to raise legitimate questions about his future as a head coach.
Billups still has his job, but the Trail Blazers will have to appoint an acting head coach as long as he is on leave. The only assistant on Billups’ staff with NBA head coaching experience is Nate Bjorkgren, who spent one season at the helm of the Indiana Pacers in 2020-21.
MORE: What to know about Terry Rozier’s arrest
Who is the Trail Blazers interim coach?
The Trail Blazers have yet to name an interim head coach while Billups is on leave. Only Bjorkgren has head coaching experience from Billups’ staff.
Chauncey Billups gambling allegations, explained
Billups is accused of helping run an illegal poker operation that collectively swindled about $7 million from victims through the use of high-tech cheating mechanisms, including X-ray tables to scan playing cards, custom glasses capable of reading cards, and rigged card-shuffling machines.
The FBI also noted that celebrities, such as Billups, were used to lure unsuspecting players into the allegedly rigged poker games.
Billups is not accused of betting on or tampering with NBA games, unlike Rozier.
MORE: Full details on Chauncey Billups’ arrest
Trail Blazers upcoming schedule
Here are the Trail Blazers’ next 10 games:
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| Oct. 24 | vs. Warriors | 10 p.m. |
| Oct. 26 | at Clippers | 9 p.m. |
| Oct. 27 | at Lakers | 10:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 29 | at Jazz | 9 p.m. |
| Oct. 31 | vs. Nuggets | 10 p.m. |
| Nov. 3 | vs. Lakers | 10 p.m. |
| Nov. 5 | vs. Thunder | 10 p.m. |
| Nov. 8 | at Heat | 8 p.m. |
| Nov. 10 | at Magic | 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 12 | at Pelicans | 8 p.m. |
Portland blew a late lead in a season-opening loss to the Timberwolves and has one more chance to pick up a home win before a three-game road trip with matchups against both Los Angeles teams and the Utah Jazz.
Chauncey Billups coaching record
| Season | W | L | Pct. |
| 2021-22 | 27 | 55 | .329 |
| 2022-23 | 33 | 49 | .402 |
| 2023-24 | 21 | 61 | .256 |
| 2024-25 | 36 | 46 | .439 |
| 2025-26 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Career | 117 | 212 | .356 |
Billups has yet to post a winning season as head coach of the Trail Blazers. He survived a 21-win campaign in 2023-24, in what was fully expected to be a rebuilding season after the franchise traded Damian Lillard, and a 15-win improvement in 2024–25 was enough to earn Billups an extension ahead of the 2025-[26 season.
The Trail Blazers are still searching for a legitimate star to build around, but their hope entering the current season was to at least remain in the playoff picture in a loaded Western Conference. Whether Billups will get the chance to see that through is unclear.
