Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy crime in connection to a betting scandal that saw Porter banned from the NBA, according to the Associated Press.
Porter appeared in court on July 10 and acknowledged he pulled himself from Raptors games last season, which allowed his co-conspirators to win bets based on his individual performance.
“I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry,” Porter said.
Porter could face more than four years in prison for the crime he committed and he has a sentencing date scheduled for Dec 18. The judge will have the final say and could impose anything from no time to 20 years behind bars. Porter is expected to assess hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and fines, per the Associated Press.
On two separate occasions, Porter exited Raptors games early. His co-conspirators had placed significant bets on Porter to underperform his statistical totals for those games, which allowed those wagers to successfully cash in.
Porter has undergone rehab for a gambling problem and he remains in therapy, his lawyer told the Associated Press.
Porter appeared in 26 games for the Raptors on a two-way contract last season. He averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. His NBA salary was roughly $410,000 last season.
Raptors set to move on from Gary Trent Jr.
Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. remains unsigned.
Before June 30, there were rumors suggesting Trent Jr. would be able to sign for a full mid-level exception with a contending team.
Given Toronto’s direction, it makes sense for a mutual parting of ways as the Raptors embrace a rebuild. Notably, with Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett taking on the majority of the team’s offense.
As the free agency market begins to dry up, this expectation of a mid-level exception may not pan out for him. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, he has ruled out out a potential return for Trent Jr. to the Raptors.
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