As the Los Angeles Lakers gear up for their first game of the 2026 NBA Playoffs this weekend, former assistant Damon Jones is anticipated to plead guilty in a significant gambling case that has sent shockwaves through the sports community. Jones, who served as an unpaid assistant for the Lakers and played alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is poised to be the first among defendants to admit guilt in the high-profile case. He faces felony charges linked to an illegal gambling investigation originating from New York. Scheduled to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge on April 28 for a change of plea hearing, Jones previously referred to himself as the best "long-range shooter in the world."
The allegations state that he shared confidential information regarding a Lakers player's injury status with a group of bettors. Although James is not charged in this case, he fits the description of the player involved. Additionally, Jones is accused of providing information regarding the health of another player, resembling former Lakers All-Star forward Anthony Davis. While Davis has not been charged, two other NBA figures, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, face charges.
Jones's attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, confirmed that his client is not cooperating with the government. "There is a normal federal process for defendants who plead in a federal criminal matter," Montgomery stated. "This case will proceed in that normal process like the thousands of federal cases in this district. No, he is not a cooperator."
The case has broader implications, as it is part of US vs. Aiello, a poker-related investigation involving members of New York organized crime families. Jones also stands as one of three defendants charged in US vs. Earnest, an extensive illegal sports betting case, where he is alleged to have sold information regarding the injury status of two unnamed Lakers players. He faces serious federal charges, including wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
Jones, Billups, and Rozier were indicted in October following a nationwide operation by federal law enforcement, with FBI Director Kash Patel commenting, "Let’s not mince words, this is the insider trading saga for the NBA." Recent court appearances have taken place at a courthouse near the Brooklyn Bridge, where two MLB pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, are also facing unrelated charges about rigged games. Their trial is expected to start this fall.
Reflecting on his past, Jones played 14 minutes in a crucial Game 4 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, where James shined with 48 points. Recently, Jones had reconnected with James while working as an assistant for the Lakers. In February 2023, following James’s record-breaking career points game, Jones allegedly received $2,500 for sharing information that a specific Lakers player would not play, coinciding with James missing a subsequent game due to injury.
Ahead of Jones’s upcoming hearing, the government must submit various filings by April 20 to U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo, including a proposed plea agreement which remains sealed as of Friday. This hearing will follow a motion to dismiss hearing for Rozier at the same courthouse. Rozier was released by the Miami Heat this week. In light of this gambling scandal, political leaders like New York Representative Paul Tonko have expressed concerns over the sports industry's integrity in the wake of legalized sports betting.
Tonko, a co-author of the SAFE Bet Act aimed at creating a federal framework for legalized sports wagering, sent letters to multiple sports league commissioners advocating for integrity measures. In his letters, he criticized the leagues, stating, "Claims of prioritizing integrity ring hollow when leagues have sold credibility to gambling operators, integrated betting content into broadcasts, normalized wagering for teenagers, glorified it in advertising, and then failed to prevent criminal conduct from taking hold within the sport." Upcoming, Tonko will speak at a public health workshop in Boston alongside Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, who has similarly expressed apprehensions regarding the deepening relationship between gambling and professional sports.
