Ex-NBA Guard Damon Jones Expected to Plead Guilty in Federal Sports Betting Case
Posted on: April 16, 2026, 02:37h.
Last updated on: April 16, 2026, 02:37h.
- Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty to federal charges involving leaked injury data for sports betting
- The case involves a vast network of over 30 defendants accused of using inside NBA information to place high-stakes wagers before public announcements
- Jones remains a figure in a separate investigation into rigged high-stakes poker games featuring hidden cameras and electronic cheating devices
Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard and assistant coach Damon Jones is preparing to plead guilty in the federal sports‑betting case that accused him of leaking confidential NBA injury information to gamblers, according to a new court filing in Brooklyn. The docket entry, posted Thursday, signals the first major shift in Jones’s legal stance since he pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in November 2025.
Jones and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among more than 30 defendants charged in a sweeping pair of indictments unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court in October 2025. The sports betting case centers on allegations that Jones served as a conduit for inside information about player availability before at least seven NBA games in 2023 and 2024. Prosecutors say the information was passed to bettors before injury news became public, allowing wagers to be placed with an unfair advantage.
According to the indictment, Jones had access to sensitive player information while working as an unofficial assistant coach/shooting coach for the L.A. Lakers during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. In one cited example, prosecutors say Jones texted a co‑conspirator ahead of a February 9, 2023 matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, urging him to place a large bet because a key player was secretly ruled out. That message, quoted in court papers, shows Jones pushing the bettor to “get a big bet” down before the news became public.
The new docket entry states that Jones’s “change of plea” has been referred to a magistrate judge — the standard step when a defendant is preparing to admit guilt.
Rozier, who pleaded not guilty in December 2025, has filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him and remains active with the Miami Heat while on league leave.
Tilted Poker Case
In a related poker-conspiracy investigation, which also names Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Jones is alleged to have helped steer wealthy gamblers into high‑stakes poker games in Las Vegas, New York, and Miami. Prosecutors say those games were anything but friendly: organizers allegedly used an altered automatic shuffler, a table capable of reading cards, and a chip tray outfitted with hidden cameras to ensure the house always won.
Text messages quoted in the indictment show Jones asking associates for cash advances before games and boasting about his role in the operation.
Jones also initially pleaded not guilty in that case, and he has not indicated any intention to change that plea.
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