Chauncey Billups Placed on Leave as Federal Poker-Scheme Charges Loom Over Portland Trail Blazers

Portland announced that head coach Chauncey Billups was placed on leave after his October 23, 2025 arrest on federal money-laundering and wire-fraud conspiracy charges tied to an alleged rigged poker scheme. A Brooklyn federal judge set a trial date for November 2, 2026. The Blazers have kept Billups under contract through at least the 2026-27 season, holding his salary while the legal process proceeds.

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Billups, a Hall of Fame guard, began the 2025-26 season as Portland’s head coach. In April 2025 he received a multiyear contract extension after the team showed progress late in the 2024-25 campaign. Over four seasons his record stood at 116-211, including a 35-46 mark in 2025-26 following a 21-win season the year before.

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The indictment, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in the Eastern District of New York, names Billups, former NBA player Damon Jones, and 31 other defendants. Prosecutors allege participation by members of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families and claim that well-known former athletes were used as “Face Cards” to lure victims to high-stakes games rigged with concealed shuffling technology. Billups has denied any wrongdoing.

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• April 2025: Billups signs multiyear extension.

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• June 2025: Former NBA center Tiago Splitter hired as assistant.

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• October 23, 2025: Billups arrested; placed on leave.

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• November 24, 2025: Billups pleads not guilty in Brooklyn federal court.

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• Start of 2025-26 season: Splitter elevated to interim head coach.

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• April 23, 2026: Splitter leads Portland to its first playoff appearance in five years.

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• November 2, 2026: Scheduled trial date.

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• Overall record under Billups: 116-211.

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• 2025-26 season record before coaching change: 35-46.

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• Prior season (2024-25) wins: 21.

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• Under Splitter: Playoff berth, ending a five-year postseason drought.

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The abrupt legal development forced Portland to stabilize a young roster, manage public fallout, and adapt to a coaching change before establishing a normal rhythm. Splitter’s interim leadership turned an emergency substitution into a defining storyline, culminating in a playoff run that reshaped the franchise’s short-term trajectory.

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• Billups: Denied wrongdoing.

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• Attorney Chris Heywood: Rejected the allegations after the arrest.

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• Department of Justice: Charged each count with a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.

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• Associated Press: Reported the indictment details and Billups’ not-guilty plea.

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Prosecutors contend that the scheme exploited Billups and Jones as high-profile “Face Cards” to attract victims, and that rigged shuffling machines were used to cheat players out of money. These allegations frame the legal case as an alleged collaboration with organized-crime networks.

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The case remains unresolved; no verdict has been reached. While a trial date is set, Billups’ employment status beyond the 2026-27 season is unclear, and the Blazers have not announced whether Splitter will retain the head-coaching role permanently. Salary details are held but not disclosed.

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Portland’s next on-court milestone is Billups’ November 2, 2026 trial. Simultaneously, the franchise must decide whether to retain Splitter as permanent head coach or pursue another candidate, marking the start of a new coaching era for the Trail Blazers.

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