NBA commissioner Adam Silver says gambling probe into Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter could result in the player's LIFETIME ban if he's found guilty of the sport's 'cardinal sin': 'The consequences could be very severe'

NBA commissioner Adam Silver left little grey area when discussing gambling accusations against Toronto Raptors power forward Jontay Porter.

If the 24-year-old NBA player is found to be involved in a plot to influence NBA betting outcomes, Porter would face a lifetime ban from the league for what Silver described as the game's 'cardinal sin.'

'There is nothing more serious, I think, around this league when it comes to gambling and betting on our games and that is a direct player involvement,' Silver told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted by Marc Stein. 'So the investigation is ongoing but the consequences could be very severe.'

Silver's statement is keeping in line with other sports leagues, which use the threat of a lifetime ban to deter players from engaging in any wagering in their respective sports.

The best-known example comes from 1989, when then-MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti gave Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose a lifetime ban after he was found to have gambled on his team's games.

Although Rose denied gambling at the time, in 2004 he confessed to betting on Cincinnati games while managing the team, but insisted he never wagered against the Reds.

His critics have argued that is irrelevant, because he could conceivably rest his best relief pitchers for games when he wasn't gambling, leaving Cincinnati less competitive on those nights.

It was in 1991 that the Hall of Fame board made Rose ineligible for life, and recently, current commissioner Rob Manfred vowed to uphold that ban.

'Pete Rose violated what is sort of rule one in baseball, and the consequences of that are clear in the rule, and we've continued to abide by our own rules,' Manfred said in 2023.

Porter is currently being investigated by the NBA over suspicious gambling activity surrounding two recent performances, a league spokesman has confirmed to DailyMail.com.

The Toronto Raptors forward made early exits from both the January 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers and March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings due to a reported eye injury and an illness. As a result, Porter fell well short prop-wager lines on those given nights, leading to major payouts on several bets that are now under suspicion.

'People were trying to do whatever they could to bet Jontay Porter props [against the Clippers],' an industry source told ESPN of the suspicious wagers. 'And then, just a few days ago, the same thing. We had a bunch of people trying to bet under for more.'

Porter, who was held out of Sunday's game for personal reasons, has not been suspended by the NBA, nor has he been charged with any crime. But as seen in several resurfaced social media posts, the 23-year-old apparently has a long-held interest in sports gambling.

'Shoutout spazzin for the EZ parley (sic),' read a post from an X account, ostensibly belonging to Porter, after successfully predicting a three-team college basketball parlay in March of 2022.

While it doesn't represent a potential violation (Porter wasn't on an NBA roster at the time and the games in question were collegiate), the social media post is one of several raising questions amid the league's investigation into his gambling history.

The younger brother of Denver Nuggets star and NBA champion Michael Porter Jr., Jontay is on the fringe of the NBA.

He's currently on a two-way contract with the Raptors, which allows him to be shuffled between the NBA club and its G League affiliate in Mississauga, Ontario. And unlike his older brother, who has nearly $80 million in career earnings, Jontay has made less than $3 million during his brief career.

But while he doesn't have his brother's riches, the younger Porter does have a keen interest in the stock market, which seemingly prompted him to create an X account with the handle @TayTrades11.

Porter's agent has not responded to DailyMail.com's request for confirmation of the account, but in May of 2022, the player did make a reference to the @TayTrades11 page using his primary X handle, @JontayPorter.

'My real trading account is @TayTrades11,' he wrote in May of 2022.

As first reported by DailyHive.com, someone using that handle has been credited with sharing successful sports betting advice by other users.

'For anyone who likes to make a wager or two on sports,' read a 2022 post by @NomadTrader8. 'Did any of y'all catch this play yesterday?

The post included a screenshot of various betting lines for the Memphis Grizzlies – a team that had released Porter only 10 months earlier.

Porter's @TayTrades11 account was included at the end of @NomadTrader8's post, which the player then 'liked' online.

The account holder for @NomadTrader8 has not responded to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

And that's not the only exchange between @TayTrades11 and @NomadTrader8.

A day later, @NomadTrader8 referenced @TayTrades11 in another post.

'@TayTrades11 stone cold lock of the day last night – Suns/Over (easy$),' the post began. 'Thanks @TayTrades11! Wish you had a sports betting service…'

The post ended with a 'thinking' emoji.

The @TayTrades11 account not only 'liked' the @NomadTrader8 account, but several other sports betting posts, most of which involved college basketball or the NFL.

The ongoing investigation could represent the NBA's biggest sports gambling scandal since the Tim Donaghy saga, when the long-time official ultimately pleaded guilty to wagering on games he was officiating. Donaghy ultimately served a year in prison.

Specifically, two of Porter's recent games are under the league's microscope.

Following the March 20 game, DraftKings reported that prop bets on Porter – wagers on whether or not he'd reach specific statistical benchmarks – were the top moneymaker in the NBA for that night.

Furthermore, ESPN is reporting that at least one other sportsbook found irregular activity on January 26, including several five-figure wagers on the 'under' – bets that paid off heavily after Porter made an early exit due to an eye injury.

Suspicious wagers ranged from $10,000 to $20,000, according to ESPN.