Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter is away from the team as he is the subject of a gambling investigation, according to a report on Monday.
ESPN reported that prop bets related to the Jan. 26 and March 20 games, specifically Porter's stats, are under investigation. The Athletic Porter confirmed that he is currently not with the team. The Raptors faced the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in Toronto. Porter was not with the Raptors when they lost to the Wizards in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, but he had seven points and eight assists the night before against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Raptors declined to comment, and an NBA spokesperson said: The Athletic“We are considering it.”
A DraftKings spokesperson said Monday: “We have no comment on this story.” “In general, one of the many benefits of legal and regulated sports betting is that sports betting operators identify and report suspicious activity, protecting the integrity of sports in a way that does not exist in the illegal market. It is important to note that
Porter's prop bet has been the most profitable bet on two different nights of NBA games over the past two months. January 26th, the day he went under 0.5 3-pointers at -120, and March 20th, when his prop was the biggest earner. According to DraftKings Sportsbook Insights, which is published daily and distributed to members of the media, here's what happened in the NBA that night. However, a DraftKings spokesperson could not confirm its accuracy.
When the media entered the Raptors' locker room before Monday's game, several players stood in a small circle looking at their cell phones. Asked about it, Porter's teammate Jordan Nwora said he didn't know anything other than what was posted on X.
Raptors manager Darko Lajakovic said he didn't know about Porter's gambling investigation until Monday and said there was nothing wrong with the two games in which he was ejected.
“No one, no team, wants that situation,” Rayakovic said.
Rayakovic said he did not suspect the player was injured, adding: “We have never experienced a situation like this before.”
Garrett Temple, a Raptors swingman and vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, said he was “surprised” by the report.
“But at the end of the day, nothing has been proven yet,” Temple said. “This is an investigation, and he's not only a member of our team, a member of our organization, but a member of our 450 (union members). So my position is, we… The idea is that we support (him) and we hope that's not what was implied.”
When asked how much emphasis the NBPA places on gambling education, Temple said: We've been meeting about it at least once a year, twice a year during the season. Everyone is there, everyone is there, it is their duty to be there.
“So it continues because everyone understands the risks and what to do and what not to do about it. It's always been at the forefront of our education. ”
Wednesday's loss to the Sacramento Kings was one of the games reportedly under special scrutiny. Porter played less than three minutes before leaving with what the Raptors called an illness. Porter has recently been serving as the backup to center Kelly Olynyk after starting center Jakob Poeltl is out with a left hand injury.
The league has an official relationship with SportsRadar, a global distributor of betting data. SportsRadar, along with other authorized partners, may notify leagues when players place bets.
The Raptors signed Porter to a two-way contract on December 8th. He played in 26 games this season, averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Players on two-way contracts will earn $559,782 this year, half of the rookie minimum. Porter was signed midway through the season, so he will receive a pro-rata percentage of that amount.
Porter started the season with the G League's Motor City Cruise. He appeared in 11 games with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2020-21 season and has played primarily in the G League since then. He has battled injuries numerous times in both college and the NBA.
(Photo: Arika Jenner/Getty Images)
