And-Ones: Ishbia, J. Porter, J. Johnson, 65-Game Rule
Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Suns owner Mat Ishbia said he’d be willing to put up $1MM in prize money for the winners of the slam dunk contest and three-point contest on All-Star Saturday, with another $1MM going to charity for each event, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The goal, as Ishbia explained, would be to bring back more star power to those competitions.
“Let’s get the best guys in,” Ishbia said. “Let’s make it awesome.”
Unfortunately, as Windhorst notes, it wouldn’t be as simple as Ishbia simply putting up that prize money himself. The bonuses for winning those events are negotiated as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and require the approval of NBA owners and the players’ union. The current CBA calls for dunk contest winners to receive $105K and three-point contest champions to get $60K.
While Ishbia didn’t consult with the league office before sharing his proposal on The Pat McAfee Show, he’s motivated to find a way to get more stars into those All-Star Saturday competitions, Windhorst writes, so he could reach out to the NBA to explore the idea further.
We have more odds and ends from across the basketball world:
- Banned from the NBA for his participation in an illegal betting scheme, former Raptors forward/center Jontay Porter plans to join the Seattle Superhawks of the United States Basketball League, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Porter, who is still awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a federal felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in 2024, previously attempted to join Promitheas B.C. in Greece for the 2024/25 season but had that request turned down by a federal judge. The USBL season tips off on March 6.
- Veteran NBA forward James Johnson will join the BIG3 for its upcoming season and play for DMV Trilogy, the team coached by Stephen Jackson, the 3-on-3 league announced on Wednesday (via Twitter). A 16-year NBA veteran, Johnson appeared in 12 games for the Pacers in 2024/25 but hasn’t been in the league at all this season.
- With Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both increasingly in danger of falling shy of the 65-game minimum to qualify for end-of-season awards, Eric Koreen of The Athletic argues that the rule is backfiring and could result in the wrong player being named Most Valuable Player this spring. In his latest MVP check-in, Zach Harper of The Athletic ranks Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama as his top three candidates, but they’ve missed 16, 11, and 14 games respectively. They’d be ineligible for award consideration if that number reaches 18.
Terry Rozier Being Investigated As Part Of Illegal Betting Probe
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Heat guard Terry Rozier as part of a “sprawling” probe into illegal sports betting, report Jared Diamond, Louise Radnofsky and Robert O’Connell of The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
According to The Wall Street Journal, Rozier is being investigated for his performance in a game on March 23, 2023, when he was playing for the Hornets.
In the hours leading up to the game, there were unusual prop bets made that Rozier would fail to reach certain statistical benchmarks, raising alarms about potential suspicious activity. Sportsbooks and the NBA were alerted, and some books stopped taking bets related to Rozier’s performance that day.
After recording five points, four rebounds and two assists in 9:34 of action in the first quarter, Rozier exited the game during a timeout and did not return, citing a foot issue. He did not play the final eight games of the 2022/23 season due to the injury.
Rozier has not yet been charged with a crime or accused of wrongdoing, and the expectation is that he’ll continue to suit up for the Heat as the investigation unfolds, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
“We are aware of the NBA’s 2023 investigation which determined there was absolutely no wrongdoing by Mr. Rozier and we are confident that the on-going government investigation will arrive at the exact same conclusion,” Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty told ESPN.com.
The investigation into Rozier is part of the same government probe which saw former Raptors big man Jontay Porter plead guilty to a federal felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following an investigation, Porter was banned from the NBA for violating league rules “by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”
“Authorities believe some of the people who arranged for Porter to fix his performance in two games last season had inside information that prompted them to bet large sums of money against Rozier a year earlier,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Several gamblers have been charged in the Porter scandal, with at least two pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
And-Ones: Crawford, NBC, 2025 Draft, J. Porter Case
Three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford will be the lead game analyst for games on NBC and Peacock beginning next season, NBC Sports officially confirmed on Tuesday. The Athletic reported last month that NBC had reached a deal to hire Crawford as an analyst.
NBC hasn’t been an NBA broadcast partner since 2002, but is one of three companies – along with Disney (ABC/ESPN) and Amazon Prime – that struck agreements with the league for its media rights beginning in 2025/26.
The network is in the process of filling its roster of play-by-play commentators, game analysts, and studio analysts ahead of the fall, with Crawford expected to work one or more games per week, according to today’s announcement.
“I’m thrilled to join the NBC Sports family and their new NBA package,” said Crawford, who has worked with TNT Sports, NBA TV, and MSG Network. “I grew up reenacting the game highlights that I watched on the network’s classic NBA coverage, so I’m truly honored to be a part of the new broadcast team that will bring the game to a different generation of fans. NBC Sports’ productions are top-notch across the board, and I can’t wait for hoop fans to see what we have in store for the new era of basketball content.”
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA announced this week (via Twitter) that its 2025 draft lottery will take place on May 12 in Chicago. The NBA G League combine, formerly known as the NBA G League Elite Camp, will be held from May 9-11, with the full-fledged draft combine to follow from May 11-18.
- Speaking of the 2025 NBA draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his mock draft, making 59 picks across both rounds of the event, while Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) have identified 10 prospects whose stocks are on the rise, including Michigan’s Danny Wolf, Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams, and Florida’s Alex Condon.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and David Purdum of ESPN provide updates on the latest developments in the sports betting scandal involving former Raptors big man Jontay Porter, noting that another arrest has been made in connection with the case. Shane Hennen, a Las Vegas man, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering after alleging being tipped off to bet various “unders” ahead of a January 26, 2024 game, which Porter exited due to an eye injury. Hennen was sent a message from Porter that read, “Hit unders for the big numbers. I told (Co-Conspirator 2) no blocks no steals. I’m going to play first 2-3 minute stint off the bench then when I get subbed out tell them my eye killing me again.”
And-Ones: Griffin, Amazon, Coaches, Tatum, WNBA, J. Porter
In the wake of his retirement as a player, six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin is said to be drawing significant interest not from NBA teams but from the league’s new television partners. According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Griffin is in talks with Amazon Prime Video about a role as an analyst on their NBA coverage, with NBC and ESPN also believed to be interested in the former Clippers star.
Amazon and NBC aren’t currently airing NBA games, but will begin to do so in 2025/26, when the league’s new media rights deal takes effect, and will need to fill out their broadcast teams with both game and studio analysts. One source suggests to McCarthy that Griffin, who has an engaging personality and tried his hand at stand-up comedy during his playing days, is a candidate to become “the face” of Amazon’s NBA coverage.
Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post recently reported that veteran play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle, who calls NBA games for TNT and YES Network, is in serious talks to join Amazon for its NBA coverage. Mike Tirico and Ian’s son Noah Eagle are expected to be the top two play-by-play broadcasters for NBC’s NBA coverage, per Glasspiegel.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In an interesting story for The Associated Press, Tim Reynolds takes a closer look at the average shelf life for an NBA head coach, noting that 15 of the league’s 30 coaches are entering either their first, second, or third year with their respective clubs. “That’s a sobering reality of this profession,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the NBA’s second longest-tenured head coach. “It bums me out when I hear that stat because there are a lot of really talented coaches that if they had the same type of structure and continuity and belief from (their teams) … there could be a lot more coaches able to do what I’m able to do here (in Miami).”
- Celtics star Jayson Tatum has informally agreed to join a bid to bring a WNBA franchise to his home city of St. Louis, reports Jacob Feldman of Sportico. Billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman are heading up the prospective ownership group, according to Feldman, who notes that NBA players are permitted to own up to a 4% stake in a WNBA franchise.
- A second gambler has admitted to his role in the Jontay Porter betting scheme, pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, per an Associated Press report. The Pennsylvania man, Mahmud Mollah, will be sentenced on May 2 in federal court. A wide range of sentences are possible, from a no-jail punishment to 20 years in prison.
And-Ones: G League Trades, Flagg, 2025 Draft, Howard, Parsons, More
The Rip City Remix – the Trail Blazers‘ G League affiliate – have completed a series of trades involving players who have signed Exhibit 10 contracts with NBA teams this fall, according to a press release from the team.
The Remix acquired Henri Drell‘s returning rights in a three-team trade with the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls, sending the returning rights for Jazian Gortman, Anthony Duruji, and Jakub Urbaniak to the Mavericks‘ affiliate in the deal. Rip City also acquired David Muoka‘s returning rights from the Long Island Nets in exchange for George Conditt‘s rights and a 2025 second-round pick.
Both Drell and Muoka signed Exhibit 10 deals with Portland ahead of training camp and were recently waived. Now that the Remix control both players’ G League rights, it’s safe to assume they’ll report to the Blazers’ affiliate and will receive Exhibit 10 bonuses (worth as much as $77.5K) as long as they spend at least 60 days with Rip City.
The Remix also received the returning rights for Aleem Ford – along with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 G League draft and a 2025 international draft pick – from the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for Terence Davis‘ and Isiaih Mosley‘s returning rights. Davis recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks, so it looks like he’ll ultimately land with the Herd.
Finally, Portland’s affiliate finalized a fourth trade that sent Antoine Davis‘ rights to the Stockton Kings in exchange for the rights to Stanley Johnson and Jayce Johnson, along with a pair of draft picks (Twitter link). None of those players have signed Exhibit 10 deals this fall, but it appears Sacramento’s affiliate plans to have Davis on its roster this season, given the handful of pieces it traded to get him.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Duke freshman Cooper Flagg told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that it’s “absolutely not” a foregone conclusion that he’ll be the No. 1 pick in next June’s draft, a position that was echoed by Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer. “Of course he has to prove it,” Scheyer said. “I’ve seen guys who have been projected (No. 1), that have gone there, and then guys that are projected that don’t go because you assume it’s gonna happen. … I believe in Cooper at the end of the day. But again, we got a long way to go before we start thinking about that.”
- In a separate Insider-only story for ESPN, Givony shared some takeaways from his recent visits to Rutgers, Duke, UNC, and UConn, four college programs who figure to be well represented in the first round of next year’s NBA draft. Within his section on Rutgers, Givony notes that multiple NBA scouts have told him they have Dylan Harper ranked atop their draft boards ahead of the NCAA season.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report provides his 2024/25 win-loss predictions for all 30 NBA teams, while John Hollinger of The Athletic names the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Hornets, and Wizards as five clubs he expects to fall short of their preseason over/under projections.
- Georgia businessman Calvin Darden Jr. was found guilty on Friday of fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and two separate conspiracy counts for his role in defrauding former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of a combined $8MM in 2021. Brian Windhorst of ESPN has the details on the case.
- Long Phi Pham, one of the gamblers who took part in a scheme to have former Raptors big man Jontay Porter exit games early for betting purposes last season, pleaded guilty this week to conspiring to commit wire fraud, reports Jennifer Peltz of The Associated Press. Pham, whose sentencing is scheduled for April 25, could face anything from a no-jail punishment to up to 20 years in prison.
International Notes: Porter, Nnaji, Splitter, Parker, Nunn
A federal judge has denied Jontay Porter‘s request to play for for Promitheas B.C. in Greece during the 2024/25 season, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Porter, who was permanently banned from the NBA in April for violating the league’s gambling rules, pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for December 18 and he faces the possibility of 41-51 months in prison, based on sentencing guidelines.
The former Raptor had to forfeit his passport under the conditions of his pre-sentence release. He and his lawyers had filed a motion asking to modify the terms of his release to have the passport returned to him so that he could travel to and around Europe, live in Greece, and play professional basketball in the Greek League.
“The proposed modification would allow Mr. Porter to pursue a very fortunate — and quickly diminishing — opportunity to earn income through his primary skillset,” Porter’s lawyer Jeff Jensen wrote. “Mr. Porter, and more importantly his agent, believe such an opportunity is unlikely to arise again. As you may know, Mr. Porter was recently banned from the National Basketball Association.
“Mr. Porter’s primary skillset and means of earning a living involve playing professional basketball. He left college early in 2020 to enter the NBA Draft and has not yet finished earning credits towards his college degree. Since being banned from the NBA there have been no other opportunities available to continue his basketball career. Mr. Porter has a limited window to earn an income through professional basketball during his prime earning years as a professional athlete.”
Both Jensen and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment after the motion was denied, per Vorkunov.
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Nigerian center James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 draft, had hoped to make the leap to the NBA this offseason after playing in Spain in 2023/24, according to Jose Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando). However, those plans changed when Nnaji underwent back surgery this spring, rendering him unavailable for Summer League play and ensuring that he’s not in the Hornets‘ short-term plans. As a result, Nnaji will remain with Barcelona for at least one more season, per Mundo Deportivo’s reporting.
- Former NBA big man Tiago Splitter has been named the new head coach of Paris Basketball, the French team announced this week (via Twitter). Splitter, who played in the league from 2010-17 (primarily for the Spurs), became an NBA assistant coach in 2019. He spent four years on Brooklyn’s staff, then was an assistant under Rockets head coach Ime Udoka in 2023/24.
- Neither Jabari Parker (Barcelona) nor Kendrick Nunn (Panathinaikos) exercised the NBA exit clause in his contract, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando) and BasketNews.com. With those opt-out deadlines now passed, Parker and Nunn – both former NBA players – are expected to remain with their respective teams in Europe for the 2024/25 season.
Jontay Porter Pleads Guilty To Felony, Likely Facing Prison Time
Former Raptors big man Jontay Porter pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a federal felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, reports Jennifer Peltz of The Associated Press.
“I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry,” said Porter, who was released on a $250K bond signed by his mother and wife, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Porter’s sentencing is set for December 18 in New York.
Prosecutors estimated that Porter could receive 41 to 51 months in prison, but the final say will come from a judge, who could impose no time or up to a maximum of 20 years. The 24-year-old is also likely to be docked “hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and fines,” per Peltz.
Porter, who told the court he is in therapy and has received inpatient rehabilitation for a gambling addiction, was banned from the NBA in April following an investigation into betting-related irregularities.
Porter is tied to another federal case involving four men who are also charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants are accused of profiting from prop bets based on the knowledge that Porter would exit a pair of games early. The complaint also alleges that Porter – who isn’t identified by name but fits the description of the player described – was supposed to receive a portion of the winnings. Porter was allegedly pressured by one of the defendants due outstanding gambling debts. The four defendants have yet to enter pleas.
In 26 games for Toronto in 2023/24, Porter averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 13.8 minutes per night. He earned $415K last season while on a two-way contract with the Raptors.
And-Ones: Porter, Pate, Adams, 2025 Mock, Ownership Changes
Former Raptors forward Jontay Porter is being charged with a federal felony in connection to the sports betting scandal that caused him to be banned from the NBA in April, according to a report from The Associated Press.
While a specific court date and charges haven’t been specified, the case is known to be related to an existing charge of four men who schemed with a player to cash in on tips from said player (Porter) regarding his plans to exit two games early. The four men appeared in court in June, but haven’t yet entered pleas. They were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the AP.
The NBA’s investigation into Porter found that he tipped off those four men about his health and then exited one game with illness, causing anyone who bet his unders to cash in. He also gambled on games he didn’t play in, including against his own team.
Porter appeared in 26 games with the Raptors last season on a two-way contract. He is not permitted to sign another NBA contract, as per his ban.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- With the G League Ignite shut down, projected 2025 first-round pick Dink Pate is signing with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes for next season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Pate became the youngest professional basketball player last season at age 17 — he was not eligible for the 2024 draft because he doesn’t turn 19 until the 2025 calendar year. In 31 games with the Ignite last season, Pate averaged 8.0 points, 3.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds per contest. The G League formally announced the move in a press release (Twitter link).
- Alabama’s men’s basketball program is hiring Pistons assistant coach Brian Adams as an assistant under head coach Nate Oats, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Adams had NBA experience with both the Sixers and Clippers before joining Detroit midway through last season. He’s served as a collegiate assistant at Harvard and Marist as well.
- Duke’s Cooper Flagg is ESPN’s top prospect for 2025, but a pair of Rutgers guards aren’t far behind in a mock draft from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (ESPN+ link). Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper sit at No. 2 and 3, respectively, in the mock, and are each currently viewed by some teams as the top prospect in the class. Givony and Woo name Pate, Duke’s Tyrese Proctor, South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles and UConn’s Alex Karaban as some of the top returning players to watch.
- The NBA has made a change to its ownership rules, according to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov. Ownership groups are no longer allowed to have governors rotate control. The Bucks did this with Marc Lasry and Wes Edens, with Lasry serving as governor until he sold his share with Edens taking over in 2028. The Hornets are doing the same with Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin. Those two franchises will be grandfathered in, according to Vorkunov, meaning they aren’t impacted by this rule change.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics FAs, White, Hauser, Raptors, Missi, Porter
The Celtics have all of their rotation players signed through next season and they could have even more continuity, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Reserve centers Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Neemias Queta are headed to free agency but the Celtics are open to bringing any or all of them back if the price is reasonable.
The Celtics are also willing to do more extensions beyond a potential super-max deal for Jayson Tatum. They’re interested in locking up Derrick White and Sam Hauser and both are extension-eligible this offseason. White is eligible for a four-year, $127MM extension — including incentives — and the front office will likely need to go that high to get White’s signature.
The team holds a $2MM option on Hauser’s contract for next season. The Celtics could offer a creative deal with the second tax apron in mind. In that scenario, they’d decline the option, then re-sign him for a lower annual salary and more years than an extension that started in 2025/26.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors hold the No. 19 and 31 picks in this year’s draft. The Athletic’s Eric Koreen takes a look at some of the guard prospects they might consider at those spots, including USC’s Isaiah Collier, Duke’s Jared McCain and Houston’s Jamal Shead.
- Baylor center Yves Missi participated in a pre-draft workout for the Sixers on Tuesday at their practice facility, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The Sixers have picks 16 and 41 in the draft. Missi is ranked No. 23 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
- Canadian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the Jontay Porter betting scandal, ESPN’s David Purdum reports. They will try to determine if a criminal investigation is warranted after evaluating information related to “online betting irregularities from the Jan. 26 and March 20 Raptors games.” Porter was a two-way player for Toronto before he received a lifetime ban from the league.
And-Ones: Poland, Sochan, M. James, J. Porter, More
The Polish national team has formally announced a 17-man preliminary roster for next month’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Valencia, Spain (hat tip to Eurohoops). Poland will be grouped with Finland and the Bahamas in that tournament and will vie with Angola, Lebanon, and Spain for the right to compete in the 12-team men’s basketball tournament at the Olympics in Paris.
Poland’s roster doesn’t feature much NBA talent, but there is one player currently active in the league: Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan was named to the 17-man squad, which will be trimmed to 12 players for the qualifying tournament Sochan previously won a gold medal with Poland at an under-16 championship in 2019 and also represented the country at the EuroBasket 2022 qualifiers.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- On the heels of being named this season’s EuroLeague MVP, former NBA guard Mike James appears to be on the verge of signing a contract extension with AS Monaco. As Johnny Askounis relays for Eurohoops, a report from Gabriel Pantel-Jouve of BeBasket indicates that James and Monaco are set to complete a three-year deal that will increase the guard’s annual salary to three million Euros per season.
- A total of four men have now been charged by federal prosecutors in the sports betting scandal related to Jontay Porter‘s lifetime ban from the NBA, reports Jennifer Peltz of The Associated Press. The defendants are being accused of profiting from prop bets based on the knowledge that Porter would exit a pair of games early. The complaint also alleges that Porter – who isn’t identified by name but fits the description of the player described – was supposed to receive a portion of the winnings.
- In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks of ESPN identifies five teams who may not receive as much attention this summer as high-profile franchise like the Lakers and Sixers, but who could have eventful and important offseason ahead of them. Marks’ picks? The Bulls, Trail Blazers, Jazz, Pelicans, and Spurs.
- With the Lakers reportedly in pursuit of UConn head coach Dan Hurley, Alex Andrejev of The Athletic considers the history of accomplished college coaches making the leap to the NBA and evaluates how several of the most notable names – including Billy Donovan, Larry Brown, and Rick Pitino – fared at the professional level.