Getty

Chauncey Billups is not coaching the Portland Trail Blazers because he is on leave while facing federal charges tied to an alleged rigged poker scheme.

Billups, a Hall of Fame guard and the Blazers’ head coach at the start of the 2025-26 season, pleaded not guilty in November 2025 to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges. A federal judge later set a November 2, 2026 trial date for Billups, former NBA player Damon Jones and other co-defendants, according to ESPN.

The case changed Portland’s season almost immediately. The Blazers placed Billups on leave after his October 23 arrest, and assistant coach Tiago Splitter took over as interim head coach. Portland did not initially announce Billups had been fired, and the Associated Press reported that Billups remained under contract into at least the 2026-27 season, with his salary being held while he was on leave.

That distinction matters, but the basketball reality was still clear: Portland had to move forward without him.

Chauncey Billups Faces Federal Charges in Alleged Rigged Poker Case

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York accused Billups and others of participating in schemes to rig illegal poker games in New York City, East Hampton and other locations around the country. The Department of Justice said the indictment charged 31 defendants, including members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families, along with Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones.

According to the DOJ, prosecutors alleged that well-known former athletes were used as “Face Cards” to attract victims to high-stakes games. The government alleged those games were manipulated with concealed technology, including rigged shuffling machines and other devices, to cheat players out of money.

Billups has denied wrongdoing. AP reported that he pleaded not guilty to the charges on November 24, 2025, in Brooklyn federal court. AP also reported that each of the two charges carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, denied the allegations against him after the arrest, according to AP.

The Blazers Moved On From Billups During the Season

The timing made the situation especially jarring for Portland.

Billups had recently received a multiyear contract extension from the Blazers in April 2025, after Portland showed progress late in the 2024-25 season. Billups had gone 116-211 over four seasons with the franchise, including a 35-46 mark that season after Portland had won only 21 games the year before.

Then, just after the 2025-26 season began, the legal case removed him from the bench.

The Blazers’ immediate move was to elevate Splitter, who had only joined Billups’ staff months earlier. AP later summarized the shift this way: Splitter was hired as an assistant in June, took over after Billups’ arrest and led Portland to its first playoff appearance in five years.

That is the basketball piece of the story. Billups’ legal case is unresolved, and the presumption of innocence still applies. But Portland’s season did not pause. The Blazers had to stabilize a young roster, manage the public fallout and play through a coaching change that came before the team had any chance to establish normal rhythm.

By spring, the Blazers were no longer just surviving the disruption. They were playing playoff basketball under Splitter, which turned Billups’ absence from a temporary emergency into one of the defining stories of Portland’s season.

Tiago Splitter Is the Blazers’ Interim Coach After a Long NBA Journey

Splitter is not a random fill-in. He is a former NBA center from Brazil who played eight seasons in the league, according to his NBA profile. The 6-foot-11 big man was drafted No. 28 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 and averaged 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds during his NBA career.

His most memorable NBA years came with the Spurs. Splitter was part of San Antonio’s 2014 championship team, giving him firsthand experience in one of the league’s model organizations. That matters in Portland because the Blazers are trying to build structure around a younger core while navigating a chaotic season.

Splitter’s coaching path also helps explain why Portland trusted him. Before becoming interim head coach, he worked in player development and assistant roles, then joined Billups’ staff as a Blazers assistant in June 2025. The team announced Splitter, Patrick St. Andrews and Quinton Crawford as additions to Billups’ staff at the time.

Now, Splitter’s interim label is one of the biggest unresolved questions around the franchise. AP reported on April 23 that he led Portland into the playoffs as a first-time NBA head coach, but his future remained uncertain.

That uncertainty is part of why the Billups story still matters to Blazers fans. This is not only about a former coach’s federal case. It is also about how one sudden legal development reshaped Portland’s bench, accelerated Splitter’s opportunity and forced the franchise into a new coaching era before it had planned to make that decision.

For now, Billups’ next major milestone is in court. Portland’s next decision is on the sideline.