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Terry Rozier’s attorney asks judge to lift ban on contact with Hornets as free agency nears

NEW YORK (AP) — Terry Rozier’s efforts to continue his NBA career are hindered by a court order barring him from any contact with the Charlotte Hornets, his attorney argued in a motion Wednesday.

Rozier is accused of conspiring with friends to help them win bets on his performance during a March 2023 game when he played for the Hornets. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Last week, he was charged in a new indictment with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy.

Rozier has denied participating in the gambling scheme, and has been fighting to have the case dismissed.

In the new motion, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, asked for the dismissal of a court-imposed ban on contact with anyone from the Hornets.

“With the NBA’s free agency process officially beginning June 30, maintaining the Hornets on the no-contact list would likely prevent him from having any opportunity to play in the NBA,” Trusty wrote. “Under the current ruling of the arbitrator, an inability to play for or against the Charlotte Hornets would constitute a ‘failure to perform services’ by Mr. Rozier and substantially diminish or eliminate any chance of being contracted by an NBA team.”

Rozier has not played since April 13, 2025, for Miami. An arbitrator ruled in February that the Heat had to pay Rozier his $26.6 million salary for 2025-26. Miami waived him in April.

The 32-year-old averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 10 NBA seasons.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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