Who is Jontay Porter? What you need to know about Raptors center involved in NBA gambling controversy

The NBA has launched an investigation into Jontay Porter after “multiple instances of betting irregularities” were found in prop bets involving Porter.

The Raptors center was removed from Monday’s lineup against the Nets for what the team called “personal reasons.” ESPN proceeded to drop the news about the probe from the league shortly after.

The NBA told ESPN that the league is “looking into it.”

Porter, who is playing his fourth year of professional basketball, may not be a well-known name in the league. The big man appeared in a handful of games for Memphis during the 2020-21 season and did not get back to the NBA until this season, suiting up for 26 games for the Raptors.

Here is more to know about Porter’s background amid the NBA investigation.

MORE: What to know about the NBA’s investigation into Jontay Porter

Jontay Porter gambling investigation

Porter is the subject of an investigation by the NBA after “irregularities” were found in prop bets involving the Raptors center.

The NBA’s probe into Porter’s involvement in a potential gambling scandal has to do with games on Jan. 26 and March 20. In both of those contests, Porter exited early and did not return.

On Jan. 26 against the Clippers, Porter left after four minutes of playing time. The Raptors said that he had aggravated an eye injury he’d suffered four days earlier. As a result, the UNDER hit for points, rebounds, assists, and made 3s. DraftKings Sportsbook reported that the UNDER on Porter’s 3-pointers was the “biggest money winner for bettors of any NBA player props from games that evening” in its report to users.

On March 20, Porter played just three minutes against the Suns before leaving the game. The Raptors said his removal was due to an illness, and he did not return.

Once again, the UNDERs for rebounds and assists involving Porter hit, and the next day, DraftKings SportsBooks reported to its users that Porter’s prop bets were the top earners from that night in the NBA.

Jontay Porter brother: Is Jontay Porter related to Michael Porter Jr.?

Jontay is the younger brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.

The two played collegiate ball together at the University of Missouri during the 2017-18 season.

Jontay Porter stats

Porter has spent the past four seasons bouncing between the NBA and the G League, the minor-league affiliate of the NBA.

He made his NBA debut during the 2020-21 season with the Grizzlies. He did not play in the NBA during the 2021-22 or 2022-23 seasons.

Season	Team	Games	Points/G	Assists/G	Rebounds/P	Blocks/G	FG %	3P%	FT%
2020-21	Grizzlies	11	2.0	0.1	1.3	0.1	53.5	37.5	60.0
2023-24	Raptors	26	4.4	2.3	3.2	0.8	38.5	33.3	83.3

Jontay Porter college

Porter ended up playing just one season in the NCAA, suiting up for Missouri during the 2017-18 season.

With the Tigers, Porter was a key player coming off the bench. He played in 33 games, but he only got a start in seven of those contests.

He tore his ACL before his sophomore season, and then re-tore the ACL and his MCL while rehabbing in early 2019. Porter went undrafted after declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft.

Here is a look at his stats in his lone NCAA season.