Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter Faces Possible Investigation by NBA

Jontay Porter is reportedly involved in multiple cases of betting irregularities committed over a span of several months, ESPN reported, citing sources close to the matter, which has in turn triggered a probe by the association.

Prop Bets on Porter Tied to Suspicious Betting Patterns

The league is looking into what have been allegations of prop bets placed on the player and targeting games between January 26 and March 20, 2024. The suspicious activity was first registered on January 26, when Porter was playing against the LA Clippers.

One of the prop bets involving the player was an under of Porter scoring 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The player only played for several minutes before he was pulled because of an “aggravated eye injury” suffered in a previous game, but during that time, he was able to fulfil the under on the prop wager, raising a red flag in the weeks to come.

Next, Porter played again several days later and scored 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. On March 20, the player played for several minutes against the Sacramento Kings and scored two rebounds.

On several instances involving Porter prop bets, DraftKings Sportsbook said that the player’s props were indeed some of the biggest money makers, raising awareness of the potential of the betting markets, but also drawing eyeballs on the player and whether he was involved in foul play.

There was nothing in the player’s behavior to suggest that he was purposefully stalling or missing hits. Nor were the sudden bouts of illness attributed to anything other than high-level athletic attrition, which is normal.

The Honesty of Players Is Never Doubted

Nevertheless, one sportsbook shared with ESPN, which did the original reporting, that multiple accounts were attempting to bet large amounts of more than $10,000 and $20,000 on Porter unders in the game against the Clippers, which was an aberration from traditional betting forecasts.

For one, customers mostly bet between $1,000 and $2,000 on props. In the meantime, Porter also missed several games recently, being out both against the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets. Coach Darko Rajaković said that he never doubted injuries or honesty in his players, but admitted that in light of the investigation, this was a brand-new situation for him as well.

It’s not just the sportsbooks that are wary of such behavior, however. Betting anomalies are now in fact tracked by the NBA itself, and the league has adamant rules on betting participation by its own staff members, players, coaches, and other associated professionals.

The investigation is ongoing. Earlier, Rudy Gobert, a French basketball center for the Minnesota Timberwolves, was fined $100,000 for alleging that a referee was motivated by betting in a decision against the player.