Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter is away from the team because he is the subject of a gambling investigation, according to a report Monday.
ESPN reported that games on Jan. 26 and March 20 are under investigation — in particular, prop bets related to Porter’s statistics. The Athletic confirmed that Porter is not with the team currently. The Raptors play the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in Toronto. Porter was also not with the team when the Raptors lost to the Wizards on Saturday in Washington, D.C. He had seven points and eight assists the night before against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Raptors declined to comment, and an NBA spokesperson told The Athletic, “We’re looking into it.”
“We have no comment on this story,” a DraftKings spokesman said Monday. “In general, it is important to note that one of the many benefits of legal and regulated sports betting is that sports betting operators identify and report suspicious activity and the integrity of sport is therefore protected in a manner that does not exist in the illegal market.”
Porter’s prop bets were the top moneymaking bets on two different nights of NBA action over the last two months, when the under on 0.5 3-pointers made hit at -120 on Jan. 26, and on March 20 when his props were the biggest moneymakers that night in the NBA, according to the DraftKings Sportsbook Insights, which is published daily and distributed to media members. A DraftKings spokesman, however, could not confirm its accuracy.
As the media entered the Raptors’ locker room before Monday’s game, several players were looking at their phones in a small circle. When asked about it, Porter’s teammate, Jordan Nwora, said he didn’t know anything beyond what had been posted on X.
Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said he did not become aware of the gambling investigation of Porter until Monday and said nothing was amiss in the two games he left early.
“Nobody wants those situations to anybody, to any team,” Rajaković said.
Rajaković added that he doesn’t doubt players’ injuries and has “never had a situation like this before.”
Garrett Temple, a Raptors swingman and a National Basketball Players Association vice president, said he was “surprised” by the report.
“But at the end of the day, nothing has been proven yet,” Temple said. “It’s an investigation and he’s a member of our team, a member of our organization, but also a member of the 450 (union members). So, my position is that we’re backing (him) and hope that it’s not what has been implied.”
When asked how much of a priority the NBPA has placed on gambling education, Temple said, “(It has) continually been important, even before it’s become legal. We’ve had meetings about it at least once a year, if not twice a year, during the season. Guys are there, everybody’s there, it’s mandatory to be there.
“So guys understand the stakes and understand what you should and shouldn’t do regarding that, so it’s continued. It’s always been at the forefront of our education.”
Wednesday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings was one of the games that was reportedly under special scrutiny. Porter played fewer than three minutes before leaving with what the Raptors called an illness. With starting center Jakob Poeltl out with a left hand injury, Porter has been the backup to Kelly Olynyk at center recently.
The league has an official relationship with SportsRadar, a betting data global distributor. SportsRadar, along with other authorized partners, could notify the league if a player placed a bet.
The Raptors signed Porter to a two-way contract on Dec. 8. He has played 26 games, averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 26 contests this season. Players on two-way contracts make $559,782 this year, half of the rookie minimum. As Porter signed partway into the season, he will make a pro-rated percentage of that.
Porter started the season with the Motor City Cruise of the G League. He played 11 games with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020-21, and has largely been in the G League since then. He has also battled multiple injuries in both college and the NBA.
(Photo: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)
