Emotionally it feels like forever since Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups was arrested on illegal gambling charges following the first game of the 2025-26 season. In real time, it’s only been four months since his suspension. Billups entered a not guilty plea to charges of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy on November 24th. The case has been wending its way through the legal system since then. This week a couple of articles suggest that the matter may be reaching a conclusion.
As a general recap, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne detailed the case against Billups and his battle against it from top to bottom. In the process, she reminds us that a status hearing is being held today in Brooklyn, New York to update the proceedings. Shelburne covers the major players in the case, particularly those connected to Billups. She also offers an update on Billups’ lifestyle following his suspension:
Billups has been in one of his two Colorado houses for the past several months, according to sources with direct knowledge of his whereabouts. The 15,000-square-foot Greenwood Village estate he purchased in 2007 was used as collateral for his $5 million bond. He sold his Lake Oswego, Oregon, house for $4.275 million shortly after his arrest and indefinite unpaid leave from his head coaching job with the Trail Blazers.
He spends his days quietly, according to sources close to him, with his family and friends in the Denver area, playing golf, watching games and communicating with a handful of NBA brethren. The terms of his release restrict him from traveling outside the United States, and any state or city other than Colorado, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, D.C., or New York City.
In addition, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic [subscription required] began a series of reports that several defendants are expected to agree to plea deals in their cases.
According to government documents, prosecutors expect to offer “pretrial agreements” (plea deals) to 12 of the 31 defendants involved in the gambling charges. It’s unknown at this time whether Billups will be among them.
Update: ESPN is now reporting that trial has been set for November 2nd for the various participants in this case. There is still no word on which defendants will be offered plea deals between now and that date.
We’ll update this post as news comes forth.
