Terry Rozier is preparing to point the finger at his childhood friend Deniro Laster as the two fight federal charges connected to an alleged NBA gambling scheme. In a surprising development, Rozier’s legal team plans to argue that Laster is guilty while maintaining that the former Miami Heat guard had no knowledge of the gambling operation.
Attorneys representing both men submitted a joint request on Wednesday, October 21, asking a federal judge to separate their upcoming trials. The filing reveals that Rozier intends to build his defense around Laster’s alleged actions, potentially placing two childhood friends on opposing sides of the same criminal case.
“Mr. Rozier’s counsel…will argue that Mr. Laster is guilty,” the filing states.
The attorneys went even further, explaining that Rozier’s defense team “will spend as much effort prosecuting Mr. Laster in this trial as the government.”
That position represents a significant divide between two men who have reportedly maintained a close relationship since childhood. Court documents previously revealed that Laster lived with Rozier at different times and frequently traveled to attend his basketball games.
The trial stems from allegations involving a March 23, 2023, matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecutors believe Rozier informed Laster that he planned to leave the game early, allowing people with that information to wager on his performance before the public knew about his expected departure.
Federal investigators allege Laster passed the information to other bettors in exchange for an agreed payment of approximately $100,000. The gambling network allegedly placed more than $200,000 in wagers predicting Rozier would finish below certain statistical totals.
Rozier played approximately nine minutes before leaving the game. Prosecutors claim the early exit helped several wagers succeed and that Rozier and Laster later counted gambling proceeds together.
However, Rozier’s attorneys are presenting a different version of events.
“[Rozier] did not know about any bets,” the recent court document reads. “He left the March 23 game because he was hurt (the NBA recently produced objective medical records which demonstrate conclusively that Mr. Rozier was hurt), and not because of any arrangement with Mr. Laster.”
The defense maintains that Rozier was genuinely injured and never agreed to manipulate his performance. His attorneys argue that Laster may have used private information without Rozier’s knowledge or permission.
The defense has also pointed to a text message that could become central to the Terry Rozier trial. According to Courthouse News Service, Laster allegedly messaged another person on March 29, 2023, writing, “Dont tell chum bout the bet.”
Rozier’s attorneys identified “Chum” as their client’s nickname and argued that the message supports their claim that the gambling activity was being concealed from him.
Prosecutors have disputed that interpretation, maintaining that evidence gathered during their investigation indicates the message was unrelated to sports gambling.
The apparent fallout between Rozier and Laster is especially complicated because Rozier was previously paying for his friend’s legal representation.
As NBC News reported in December 2025, federal prosecutors raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest after learning that Rozier was covering Laster’s attorney fees while his own legal team was publicly suggesting Laster was responsible for the alleged wrongdoing.
Prosecutors questioned whether the financial arrangement could compromise Laster’s ability to receive independent legal advice, particularly if Rozier’s defense involved directly accusing him.
Rozier’s attorney James Trusty had already signaled that strategy during an earlier Fox News appearance.
“Confiding in a friend, a childhood friend and saying man it’s the end of the season, we are out of the playoffs, I’ll sit early in this game, that’s not a crime . . . that is confiding in a friend,” Trusty said. “But [Rozier] told a friend, and whatever that friend did is not on Terry . . . This is a situation where a friend took information, ran with it; Terry didn’t do anything.”
Those comments raised questions about how both defendants could receive fair trials if Rozier’s attorneys intended to challenge Laster’s account while federal prosecutors pursued charges against them both.
The latest filing addresses those concerns directly.
The attorneys argued that trying both men together would create an unfair situation because “Mr. Laster would face two prosecutors, and the jury would hear the case against him twice.”
Both defense teams are therefore requesting separate proceedings, allowing Rozier to present his claims against Laster without requiring his childhood friend to defend himself against those allegations during the same trial.
The Terry Rozier trial has already involved multiple legal challenges, including efforts by his attorneys to dismiss charges and dispute the government’s interpretation of evidence.
Rozier faces federal charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, sports bribery, and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty. Laster has also pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
According to the October 21 court filing, Rozier and Laster remain scheduled for trial on February 8, 2027. Their attorneys have proposed holding separate proceedings, with Rozier’s case going first.
U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall has not yet ruled on the request to separate their trials.
