The Miami Heat officially kicked off their season last night, in Orlando, against the Magic. They lost the game, with a final score of 125-121, but showed promising signs of what the team can look like. However, tragedy has struck in the blink of an eye.

It has now been reported that Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested earlier this morning after allegedly being part of suspicious sports betting activity. The Eastern District of New York and FBI Director Kash Patel held a press conference to announce the arrests from the investigation.

Rozier will appear in federal court this afternoon in Orlando, which was announced shortly before the presser. It was also reported that the NBA had no clue about the FBI's plan to arrest him.

It all started earlier this year, when Rozier was first brought up in connection with illegal gambling. The FBI was looking into suspicious sports betting activity surrounding a game in March of 2023, while he was on the Charlotte Hornets.

The league conducted its own investigation, but found no wrongdoing and cleared Rozier. However, the FBI has continued with its work and made 30 arrests, including the former Hornets guard, also Portland Trail Blazers' Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player Damon Jones.

The Heat were supposed to travel today to Memphis for Friday's regular-season game against the Grizzlies. They will have to go without the 31-year-old.

Rozier was acquired by the Heat in late January of last year in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 unprotected first-round pick. They were seeking a massive offensive spark, which he fitted the bill.

Rozier averaged 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and shot 42.3 percent from the field, 37.1 percent from three-point range in 31 appearances to begin his Heat tenure. However, last season was when things took a turn for the worse.

Rozier went on the have one of the worst statistical years in his 10-year NBA career. He averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and shot 39.1 percent from the field, 29.5 percent from three-point range in 64 appearances.

It was clear something was wrong, but nothing was certainly known at the time.

The Heat attempted to trade Rozier throughout the offseason, but no suitors would take on his heavy contract. It was reported that a deal nearly came with the Washington Wizards in exchange for Marcus Smart, but discussions fell apart during the process.

This case has serious potential to result in Rozier's contract being voided. He’s set to make over $24 million this season. Rozier was unlikely to crack the Heat's rotation this season, but for the time being, the 31-year-old will not be stepping on the court anytime soon.

Jim Trusty, Rozier's attorney, issued a statement on behalf of his client.

"Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight," he said. "He looks forward to winning this fight."

Patel's opening statement:

"As you now know, individuals such as Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones, and Terry Rozier were taken into custody today," he said. "Former, current NBA players and coaches. What you don't know is that this is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned in the course of years. The FBI led a coordinated takedown across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals today responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing. Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra, to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families. The charges and the arrests that were taken down across this country ranged from wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery, and illegal gambling. This FBI will leave no room for any perpetrator of crime across this country."

He mentioned that "tens of millions of dollars in fraud, theft, and robbery" were involved.

"We're going to take heat for it," Patel added. "We don't shy away in this administration. We don't say 'no.' We bring the results across the finish line. We bring them to the pubic and bring them accountability."

Joseph Nocella Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, next took the podium.

"We're announcing today indictments in two major cases," he said. "Both involving fraud; one involves sports betting, and the other involves illegal gambling, very specifically, rigged poker games. The first indictment involves six defendants who are alleged to have participated in one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States. This scheme is an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about National Basketball Association athletes and teams. The second indictment involves 31 defendants alleged to have participated in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games. These defendants, which include former professional athletes, used high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed. The games in the New York area were backed by the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families of La Cosa Nostra. The cases are separate; there are three overlapping defendants charged in both cases: Damon Jones, Eric Ernest, and Shane Hennen. The indictments in these cases contain only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty in a court of law. My message to the defendants that have been rounded up today is this: your winning streak has ended, your luck has run out. Violating the law is a losing proposition and you can bet on that."

Former NBA player Jontay Porter, brother of NBA champion Michael Porter Jr., was mentioned and linked to one of the cases. He was permanently banned from the league last year after being caught violating gambling rules.

Porter would tip off gamblers about his health and production on the court, while also betting against his former team: the Toronto Raptors.

Nocella Jr. alluded to Porter and Rozier as "corrupt individuals."

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch brought up Rozier as an example of alternative player performance and forfeiting a game early.

"March 23rd, 2023, in Charlotte, Terry Rozier, an NBA player now with the Miami Heat, but at the time, playing for the Hornets, allegedly let others close to him know that he planned to leave the game early with a supposed injury," she said. "Using that information, members of the group placed more than $200,000 in wagers on his under statistics. Rozier exited the game after just nine minutes and those bets paid out, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profit."

The game being referred to was against the New Orleans Pelicans, in which Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. He was ruled out for the rest of the game after the first quarter for what was known at the time as a foot injury.

"As the NBA season tips off, his career is already benched," Tisch added. "Not for injury, but for integrity. As a result of this investigation, six defendants, including Rozier, are now facing conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud."

The NBA has officially released a statement in regards of Rozier and Billips:

"We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority."

Surely, more will be known as everyone involved attends the courts.