Kofi Inkoom
Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter was reportedly sidelined from March 24th’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets following allegations of involvement in a gambling probe by the NBA.
The league began investigating potential irregularities in prop betting related to Porter’s recent performance, as disclosed by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski couple of weeks ago.
The NBA flagged prop bets linked to Porter during games on Jan. 26 and March 20, according to multiple sources. Porter, who has played in 26 games this season with five starts, is averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 13.8 minutes per game.
On Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters that the investigation into Porter’s actions is ongoing and emphasized the seriousness of the accusations, saying such involvement in gambling is considered a “cardinal sin”.
Adam Silver says what Jontay Porter is accused of is a “cardinal sin” and that punishment for it could go up to banishment from the league.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 10, 2024
Silver noted that penalties for a player implicated in gambling could extend to “banning him from the game…that’s the level of authority I [ Silver ] have here because there’s nothing more serious.”
“I mean, this is not new that there’s unsavory behavior, even illegal behavior, around sports betting,” Silver added. “I guess my point is that to the extent it’s going to exist, if you have a regulated environment, you’re going to have a better chance of detecting it than you would if all the bets were placed illegally.”
Porter, in his first season with the Raptors, is under a two-way contract for the 2023-24 season, which carries a $415,000 salary. He has remained silent on the matter and has been absent from the team’s last 10 games since the issue arose, citing “personal reasons.”