Jontay Porter's days in the NBA may be numbered.
Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that Porter could be expelled from the league if he is found guilty of NBA gambling.
“I've been given a very wide range of discipline,” Silver told reporters. “What he's being accused of in the NBA is a mortal sin. The ultimate extreme option I can take is to ban him from the game. There's nothing more serious than that, so the authority I have here. That’s about it.”
The NBA launched an investigation in late March after “multiple fraudulent gambling incidents” involving prop bets on two games on Porter, the Raptors forward and younger brother of Michael Porter Jr.
Porter, who played just 13.8 minutes per game in 26 games this season, reportedly has increased interest in prop bets on Jan. 26 and March 20.
Multiple sportsbooks reported unusual betting interest on Porter's “under” in these games.
ESPN reported that sportsbook accounts attempted to bet more than $10,000 or $20,000 on Porter's under for the Jan. 26 game.
On January 26, Porter left a game against the Clippers after apparently suffering an eye injury a few days earlier, playing just four minutes and recording three rebounds and one assist.
Then, on March 20, in a game against the Kings, Porter complained of illness and left the game after playing three minutes.
After news of Porter's possible misconduct broke in March, an NBA spokesperson told ESPN that the league was “investigating.”
“So it's not new that there are objectionable practices, even illegal practices, when it comes to sports betting,” Silver said Wednesday. “I think what I'm saying is that as long as there's a regulated environment, we're more likely to detect that than if all the betting was done illegally.”
