Terry Rozier's mother asks judge to allow him NBA return

Terry Rozier's mother asked a federal judge to allow her son to return to basketball while the NBA veteran fights charges in a gambling case scheduled for trial in February, according to a letter filed with the court Wednesday.

In a letter to Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall, Gina Tucker, Rozier's mother, asked whether conditions could be put in place to allow her son to return to basketball "while continuing to satisfy every obligation imposed upon him."

Rozier has pleaded not guilty to charges related to an alleged gambling scheme centered on his statistics from a game played March 23, 2023, while he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets.

After being waived by the Miami Heat in April, Rozier remains on indefinite leave from the NBA. He is barred from contacting members of the Heat or Hornets or traveling outside of the continental U.S. as part of his bail conditions. In July, Hall denied a request from Rozier's attorneys to modify his bail conditions to allow him to practice and play with potential witnesses.

"Terry has worked nearly his entire life to reach the NBA," Tucker wrote in her letter. "A professional athlete has a uniquely limited window in which to compete at the highest level. Every season matters, and time lost during the prime of an athlete's career cannot later be restored if the legal process takes months or years to resolve."

Rozier's trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 8, 2027.

"Allowing Terry to return to basketball would not determine or diminish the seriousness of the allegations before the Court," Tucker wrote. "It would allow him to continue his profession while the judicial process determines the outcome of his case."

Two former NBA players -- Jontay Porter and Antonio Blakeney -- have continued their careers in other leagues while facing gambling-related charges.

Porter, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and is awaiting sentencing, signed with the Seattle SuperHawks of the USBL in March. Porter was banned from the NBA in 2024, after the league found he had manipulated his performance as part of a gambling scheme.

Blakeney, who spent one season in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and is also facing gambling-related charges in a separate case involving NCAA athletes, has continued to play professionally in Israel.