The NBA launched an investigation into Jontay Porter, a Raptors forward and the brother of Michael Porter Jr., for “multiple instances of betting irregularities” involving prop bets in two games, according to ESPN.
Porter, who missed Toronto’s last two games — including Monday against the Nets — due to personal reasons, reportedly generated increased interest for his prop bets on Jan. 26 and March 20, and the day after those games, DraftKings reportedly revealed that one of Porter’s prop bets generated the most winnings.
The league declined to comment for ESPN’s story, which cited anonymous sources, and it’s unclear when the investigation was started or when the NBA was first notified.
When the Raptors lost, 127-107, to the Clippers on Jan. 26, Porter left the game after logging just four minutes, grabbing three rebounds and dishing out one assist, which all fell below the props that were approximately around 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists, according to ESPN.
TSN reported at the time that Porter’s exit against Los Angeles stemmed from a recent eye injury — the result of him getting poked against the Grizzlies earlier in the week — that flared up, and Porter was listed as probable on the following day’s injury report before returning to the lineup Jan. 28 against the Hawks.
He recorded 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists across 19 minutes.
Then, in March, Porter again exited just minutes after checking in for the first time.
He’s not a regular starter for the Raptors, instead coming off their bench after signing an Exhibit-10 deal with the Pistons, getting waived one month later and then inking a two-way contract with Toronto in December.
Porter, a 24-year-old who went undrafted after a collegiate career at Missouri, started his professional career with the Grizzlies and logged his first NBA minutes in a March 15, 2021 loss.
He appeared in 11 games that year, averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, but after that stint, it took Porter until Jan. 3 to appear in another NBA game — with knee injuries upending, and nearly derailing, his career.
But Porter made his return and carved out a small role with the Raptors, and in their March 20 loss to the Kings, he missed the lone shot he attempted, grabbed two offensive rebounds and departed after three minutes due to what the team described as an illness — again falling below the props that were approximately set around 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
That, then, was followed by the start of an investigation less than a week later.
