NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has noted that Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter could be banned from the league due to “gambling-related accusations against him,” according to an Associated Press report. Silver said expulsion is possible if the allegations turn out to be true.
The NBA began looking into prop betting abnormalities surrounding the player within the last couple of weeks.
Prop bets involve wagers on how many rebounds or points a basketball player could have, or the number of touchdowns or yards that football players might have. With prop bets, players bet on these game aspects “instead of or in conjunction with a game’s outcome or spread.”
Porter has been inactive for the past several games. The team said he has not played for “personal reasons.”
DraftKings Sportsbook recently flagged prop bets in two specific games, which triggered the NBA investigation. According to the report, these prop bets “involved Porter in its daily betting insights.”
On January 26, DraftKings reported that “users betting the under on Porter three-pointers were the biggest moneymakers among all NBA player prop betting that day.”
DraftKings also noted that Porter prop betters walked away with large winnings on March 20.
Porter left the game early on both days, according to the CNN report. He logged only four minutes of play during the January 26 game and did not attempt any three-point shots.
During the March 20 game, Porter left the game early due to illness and played for three minutes. He did not score any points during the game. During normal gameplay, Porter averages nearly 14 minutes on the court during the game.
Since the initial reports, Porter’s lack of participation has continued for 10 consecutive games. Those betting against Porter have collected significant wins as a result.
Silver related to the Associated Press the seriousness of the situation by saying, “I have an enormous range of discipline available to me. It’s a cardinal sin what he’s accused of in the NBA.
“The ultimate extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. That’s the level of authority I have here because there’s nothing more serious.”
