Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones pleaded not guilty to charges in two federal cases involving illegal gambling schemes. The cases allege his role in providing insider information for NBA bets and participating in rigged poker games connected to organized crime. Jones was released on a $200,000 bond and is exploring a possible plea deal.
Damon Jones, a former Cleveland Cavaliers guard and unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022 and 2023, entered not guilty pleas on Thursday in Brooklyn Federal Court for two indictments unsealed on October 23. The charges stem from a sweeping investigation that resulted in 34 arrests, including three NBA figures and alleged mafia members.
In the sports betting case, Jones is accused of sharing insider information about player injuries to aid wagers on NBA games. Prosecutors cite a February 9, 2023, text message he sent to a co-conspirator: "Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat to [sic] now!!" That night, LeBron James, a former teammate and longtime friend of Jones, missed the Lakers' game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to ankle soreness. James is not accused of wrongdoing. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier faces similar accusations for allegedly providing details about his plan to leave a March 23, 2023, game early, which another defendant, Marves Fairley, paid for.
The second case involves a high-stakes poker cheating scheme that prosecutors say generated over $7 million, with one victim losing $1.8 million. Jones and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups are alleged to have acted as "face cards"—athletes used to lure wealthy gamblers, or "fish," into rigged Texas Hold'em games held in locations including Manhattan, Las Vegas, the Hamptons, and Miami. The setup reportedly included an X-ray table, a rigged card-shuffling machine, hidden cameras in a poker chip tray, and glasses to detect marked cards. Additional texts from Jones highlighted in the indictment include him requesting a $10,000 advance before a game, stating, "God really blessed me that u have action for me because I needed it today bad," and boasting, "Lol man y’all call Djones in cause y’all know I know what I’m doing!! Let me hibachi like Gilbert Arenas."
During the hearing before Judge Ramon Reyes in the poker case, Jones confirmed he is engaging in plea negotiations with prosecutors, consenting to pause the speedy trial clock. He was released on a $200,000 bond secured by his mother and stepfather's Texas home, with conditions prohibiting gambling and contact with organized crime. He is represented by court-appointed attorney Kenneth J. Montgomery.
Billups, a Basketball Hall of Famer, has been suspended by the Trail Blazers, with Tiago Splitter serving as interim coach. Rozier is suspended without pay, a decision the NBPA is challenging as "counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our collective bargaining agreement." Neither has entered a plea; both are due in court on November 24. The day before Jones's pleas, NBA officials met with congressional staffers to discuss gambling scandals and league ties to sportsbooks.