Kofi Inkoom
On Wednesday, the NBA disclosed in a press release that Jontay Porter, a forward/center previously under a two-way contract with the Raptors this season, has been banned from the league.
“A league investigation found that Porter violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games,” the league said in a statement.
Last month, the NBA initiated a probe into Porter following suspicions related to betting. The Raptors’ center left games prematurely on January 26 and March 20, supposedly due to a worsened eye injury and illness, respectively.
Substantial betting activity occurred on the “unders” for Porter-related prop bets on those dates, notably at sportsbooks like DraftKings. Prop bets enable bettors to speculate on whether specific players will achieve particular statistical milestones (such as points, rebounds, assists, etc.) in a game.
As per the NBA’s statement, their investigation uncovered specific details leading to Porter’s permanent expulsion from the league:
- Prior to the March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his health to someone he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80K parlay prop bet (to win $1.1MM) at an online sportsbook, wagering on Porter to underperform in that game.
- Porter limited his own participation in at least one game to influence the outcome of one or more bets. The league suggests that this occurred in the March 20 game, when Porter claimed he felt ill after playing just three minutes. As a result of the “unusual betting activity and actions of the player,” the $80K prop bet was frozen and wasn’t paid out.
- From January through March 2024, while under contract with the Raptors, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s account. Those bets totaled $54,094 and paid out $76,059, resulting in net winnings of $21,965. While none of those bets involved a game in which Porter played, three of them were multi-game parlays that included a Raptors game. In each case, Porter bet that the Raptors would lose.
The NBA has stated that its investigation is ongoing and may yield further discoveries. Although enough information has been unearthed thus far to warrant the decision to ban Porter from playing in the NBA again.
Additionally, the league emphasized that it has shared, and will continue to share, its findings with federal prosecutors.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter‘s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” commissioner Adam Silver said in today’s release. “While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
Porter, sibling to Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., became a story of resilience upon joining the Raptors this season, overcoming multiple injuries, including two ACL tears, to return to the NBA after his last stint in 2021.
In his 26 games for Toronto this season, which included five starts, the 24-year-old averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 13.8 minutes per game.
With earnings of $415K this season, Porter’s total NBA income amounts to approximately $2.8MM. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason..