Jontay Porter, amid lifetime ban from NBA for gambling, signs with USBL's Seattle SuperHawks
Nearly two years after receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter is officially returning to professional basketball. The 26-year-old has signed a contract with the Seattle SuperHawks of the newly relaunched United States Basketball League (USBL), marking his first competitive stint since the gambling scandal that abruptly ended his NBA tenure in April 2024.
The signing, announced by the team on Wednesday, comes as Porter remains in a complex legal limbo. He is currently awaiting federal sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July 2024. While prosecutors have estimated a potential prison sentence of 41 to 51 months, sentencing dates have been repeatedly delayed, leaving Porter free on bond but restricted from leaving the country.
Porter’s return to domestic competition is largely a result of legal necessity. Earlier this year, a federal judge denied his request to play internationally for Promitheas Patras B.C. in Greece, citing flight risk concerns. With overseas avenues closed, the USBL—an independent league operating outside the NBA’s jurisdiction—offered the only viable path for Porter to resume his career.
"I am just trying to do what I can to provide for my family," Porter reportedly stated regarding the move. The decision brings him back to a familiar setting; Porter played high school basketball at Nathan Hale in Seattle and has significant family ties to the Pacific Northwest.
The SuperHawks are taking a calculated risk on the skilled big man, who averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds with the Raptors before a league investigation revealed he had disclosed confidential health information to bettors and manipulated his own participation in games to influence prop bets.
Porter is expected to make his debut on March 7 against the Lilac City Legends. However, his time on the court may be fleeting. With federal sentencing still looming, this USBL stint serves as a temporary, albeit controversial, chapter in one of the most significant falls from grace in modern NBA history.
The signing, announced by the team on Wednesday, comes as Porter remains in a complex legal limbo. He is currently awaiting federal sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July 2024. While prosecutors have estimated a potential prison sentence of 41 to 51 months, sentencing dates have been repeatedly delayed, leaving Porter free on bond but restricted from leaving the country.
Porter’s return to domestic competition is largely a result of legal necessity. Earlier this year, a federal judge denied his request to play internationally for Promitheas Patras B.C. in Greece, citing flight risk concerns. With overseas avenues closed, the USBL—an independent league operating outside the NBA’s jurisdiction—offered the only viable path for Porter to resume his career.
"I am just trying to do what I can to provide for my family," Porter reportedly stated regarding the move. The decision brings him back to a familiar setting; Porter played high school basketball at Nathan Hale in Seattle and has significant family ties to the Pacific Northwest.
The SuperHawks are taking a calculated risk on the skilled big man, who averaged 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds with the Raptors before a league investigation revealed he had disclosed confidential health information to bettors and manipulated his own participation in games to influence prop bets.
Porter is expected to make his debut on March 7 against the Lilac City Legends. However, his time on the court may be fleeting. With federal sentencing still looming, this USBL stint serves as a temporary, albeit controversial, chapter in one of the most significant falls from grace in modern NBA history.
