Former NBA player Jontay Porter, banned for life by the league for gambling violations, has signed with the Seattle SuperHawks of the United States Basketball League. The move comes nearly two years after his exit from the NBA and amid ongoing legal proceedings. Porter aims to resume professional basketball in the relaunched USBL, which begins its season in March.
Jontay Porter, a former forward for the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies, received a lifetime ban from the NBA in 2024 for violating league gambling rules. The NBA investigation revealed that Porter disclosed his health status to a bettor before a March 20, 2024, game against the Clippers, after which he exited less than three minutes into the contest citing illness. A bettor had wagered $80,000 on a parlay that would have won $1.1 million if the under on Porter's player props hit, but the bet was frozen and not paid out.
Additionally, the NBA found that Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games from January to March 2024 using an associate's account, wagering $54,094 and netting $21,965. None of the bets involved games in which he played, though one parlay included a bet on the Raptors to lose. Irregular betting activity, such as the under on his made 3-pointers being the biggest winner on DraftKings after a January 26, 2024, game, flagged the issues.
Porter pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a scheme where he provided inside information on NBA games to bettors. Federal prosecutors stated he removed himself early from two Raptors games during the 2023-24 season to aid prop bets for a betting ring. He is awaiting sentencing and previously sought to play for Promitheas B.C. in Greece, but a federal judge denied the request despite no opposition from pretrial services or the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The Seattle SuperHawks announced Porter's signing to their roster, marking his first professional opportunity since the NBA ban. The USBL, which operated from 1985 to 2008 and produced NBA talents like Manute Bol and Spud Webb, relaunched last fall with eight teams. Its season opens on March 6. Porter told The Athletic, “I am just trying to do what I can to provide for my family.” The league emphasizes fair competition, stating, “The games we play must be decided on the court,” and requires trust in outcomes earned through skill and effort.
The NBA prohibits betting on its games and mandates annual anti-gambling training, employing data scientists to monitor issues. Porter's case is among the rare instances of league discipline for such violations.
