Terry Rozier is pushing back on an arbitration ruling that allows the NBA to withhold most of the remaining $26.6 million on his Heat contract, arguing court-imposed release conditions tied to his federal gambling case significantly hamper his ability to sign with another team.
The arbitrator’s May 20 decision in favor of the NBA happened was not publicly known until Wednesday, when Rozier’s attorney filed a motion seeking to modify the conditions of Rozier’s release in the criminal case. According to the motion, the arbitrator determined that, even though Rozier had been placed on administrative leave by the NBA, the conditions of release imposed on him in the criminal case “rendered him in breach of his contractual obligation to play.”
Rozier was indicted in October over allegations he was involved in an illegal betting scheme. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a $6 million bond, but under the terms of his release, he is not allowed to have any contact with “current and former employees of, and independent contractors for” the Charlotte Hornets or Miami Heat (the Hornets are the team he was on when he allegedly committed crimes, while the Heat are the team he was most recently on).
