A newly disclosed text message has deepened the divide between former NBA guard Terry Rozier and codefendant Deniro Laster, whose lawyers are asking for separate trials in their federal gambling case.
- Rozier's attorney says a newly disclosed text supports his claim that he knew nothing about the betting scheme.
- NBA medical records recently provided to the defense support Rozier's injury claim, his attorney says.
- Laster’s lawyer doesn’t want his client to be tried with Rozier.
Laster allegedly texted an associate, “Don't tell chum bout the bet,” on March 29, 2023, six days after a game prosecutors say Rozier manipulated to help bettors profit, according to a court filing obtained by Los Angeles Magazine. Rozier's defense says “chum” refers to him.
According to Rozier's attorney, Laster sent the message the same day he allegedly acted as a middleman, collecting $70,000 in betting proceeds from alleged coconspirator Marves Fairley before meeting Rozier at his home.
Rozier’s attorney, David Markus, and Laster’s lawyer, Evan Corcoran, filed a joint request with the federal judge on Wednesday to split the cases due to multiple conflicting matters, including the text that Rozier’s defense argues proves he didn’t know about the betting scheme.
The trial is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2027. The attorneys proposed two consecutive trials lasting about a week-and-a-half each within the three weeks already reserved for the joint trial.
Corcoran also argued Rozier’s legal team will implicate his client in the betting scheme as part of its defense.
“Rozier’s lawyers will spend as much effort prosecuting Mr. Laster in this trial as the government," Laster's team wrote in a filing to U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.
NEW: Terry Rozier’s attorneys say they plan to argue his co-defendant and LONGTIME FRIEND Deniro Laster is GUILTY in the NBA gambling case, and Laster’s own lawyer agrees the two men should be tried separately. In a new federal filing, Rozier’s defense reveals a text allegedly sent by Laster: “Don’t tell chum bout the bet.” “Chum” is Rozier. The defense also says newly produced NBA medical records support Rozier’s claim that he left the March 2023 game because he was injured, not to manipulate bets. Prosecutors oppose separate trials. Both men are currently scheduled for trial February 8, 2027.
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) October 22, 2026
Medical records support injury claim
In this latest twist, Markus said NBA medical records “demonstrate conclusively” that Rozier was dealing with a foot injury, supporting his argument that Rozier left the game for medical reasons rather than to help bettors.
Markus also pointed to Rozier exceeding his projected rebound total, causing some bets tied to the alleged scheme to lose, as further evidence supporting his defense. Rozier posted five points and two assists and hit one 3-pointer before exiting the game early.
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Alleged scheme
Federal prosecutors allege Rozier informed Laster, his longtime friend, that he would remove himself early from a game on March 23, 2023 while he was playing with the Charlotte Hornets.
Laster allegedly passed the information to Fairley and other bettors so the group could wager over $250,000 on Rozier’s player prop unders at U.S. sportsbooks.
Rozier was arrested in October 2025 when he was a member of the Miami Heat, as part of a broader FBI gambling investigation, and both men were named in a federal indictment on wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery charges.
Rozier has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his legal team has tried to have the case dismissed.
The NBA placed Rozier on indefinite leave after his arrest, and the Miami Heat waived him at the end of last season. He’s currently not on an NBA roster.
Rozier’s case is part of a larger scheme that included Shane Hennen, a sports bettor and poker player who pleaded guilty on Oct. 14 to his role as a fixer.
