Publish Date: April 16, 2026, 02:37h. 

Updated On: April 16, 2026, 02:37h.

• Damon Jones, the former NBA player and coach, is set to admit guilt regarding federal charges linked to unauthorized injury data for sports betting.
• The allegations involve an extensive operation comprising over 30 individuals who allegedly utilized insider NBA information for high-stakes bets prior to public disclosures.
• Jones is also entangled in a separate probe concerning rigged high-stakes poker games, which involved hidden cameras and electronic cheating tools.

Damon Jones, a former guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and later an assistant coach, is on the verge of pleading guilty in a federal case accusing him of disclosing confidential NBA injury details to gamblers. A recent court entry in Brooklyn marks a significant turn in Jones’s legal approach, as this follows his not guilty plea during his arraignment in November 2025.

Alongside Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Jones is one of over 30 defendants implicated in a broad investigation revealed in Brooklyn Federal Court in October 2025. The case focuses on allegations that Jones facilitated access to internal information regarding player statuses prior to at least seven NBA games through 2023 and 2024. According to prosecutors, this insider knowledge enabled bettors to place wagers ahead of public announcements, creating an uneven playing field.

The indictment claims Jones possessed privileged player information while working unofficially as a shooting coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. In a particular instance, the document reveals that Jones communicated with a co-conspirator before a February 9, 2023, game against the Milwaukee Bucks, encouraging him to place a substantial wager based on a key player’s undisclosed absence.

The latest court filing indicates that Jones’s “change of plea” has been assigned to a magistrate judge, a typical procedure when a defendant is getting ready to accept guilt.

Rozier, who entered a not guilty plea in December 2025, has sought to have the charges dismissed and continues to engage with the Miami Heat while on league leave.

Poker Scandal

In a related scandal within the poker community, which also implicates Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Jones is alleged to have facilitated wealthy gamblers’ involvement in high-stakes poker games across Las Vegas, New York, and Miami. Prosecutors assert that these games were riddled with deceit: the organizers supposedly employed modified automatic shufflers, card-reading tables, and chip trays equipped with hidden cameras to rig the odds in their favor.

Text messages included in the indictment depict Jones seeking financial advances before games and boasting about his involvement in the illicit operation.

Though Jones initially pleaded not guilty in this case as well, he has shown no signs of planning to alter that stance.