While the sports world was captivated by the Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara story earlier this year, it’s the NBA that’s currently embroiled in a significant controversy surrounding Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors.
Porter, on a two-way contract with the Raptors, found himself thrust into the spotlight in late March when ESPN reported highly unusual betting patterns involving Porter’s player props in two games earlier this year. Despite averaging 4.4 PPG in 25 games since joining the Raptors in January, Porter’s under props saw substantial wins on DraftKings.
DraftKings highlighted his under 0.5 three-pointers bet as the most significant money mover after a January game against the Clippers, where Porter played only 4 minutes before leaving due to an eye injury without attempting a three-pointer. A similar situation occurred in a March game against the Kings, resulting in sizable wins on Porter’s under props when he exited the game early due to illness.
Porter is currently under investigation regarding the suspicious activity and hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the report surfaced. Despite his relatively low profile in the NBA, the sudden movement raised significant concerns. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has even mentioned the possibility of a lifetime ban if Porter is found guilty. Additionally, there are reports indicating that Porter himself was an active and prolific sports bettor.
A recent report revealed that Porter operated a “VIP account” at FanDuel in Colorado, placing over 1,000 wagers totaling millions of dollars between 2021 and 2023. However, it’s noted that Porter did not bet on NBA or college basketball games from this account, despite the staggering number of bets. Moreover, his activity at FanDuel ceased before signing a two-way contract with the Raptors this season.
While there are no direct connections between Porter’s FanDuel account and the suspicious NBA bets, the circumstantial evidence is concerning, echoing the speculation that surrounded Ohtani until further details emerged.
