Michael Rothstein Oct 22, 2026, 06:44 PM ET

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Michael Rothstein, based in Atlanta, is a reporter on ESPN's investigative and enterprise team. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein.

NEW YORK -- Eric Earnest, a key co-conspirator in the inside information gambling case involving NBA player Terry Rozier, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in federal court Thursday, but his attorney said after the hearing that his client did not receive inside information from former NBA player and head coach Chauncey Billups.

Federal authorities alleged in the indictment that an unnamed co-conspirator told Earnest that the Portland Trail Blazers would be tanking and that certain Portland players would not play before a March 24, 2023, game against the Chicago Bulls .…