The NBA employs similar tactics by annually providing education and resources to athletes to help them avoid illegal gambling endeavors. Those measures will likely be intensified in the wake of Porter’s investigation, which could result in steep consequences for the Raptors.

But Donovan acknowledged the risk remains as long as legal gambling is a fixture of the league.

“When you open that up, bad things can happen,” Donovan said. “You just hope it doesn’t happen and guys can be smart and wise on that stuff. There is a line there that certainly if it gets crossed can be really unfortunate so you try to educate the guys as best you can.”

Even with concerns of match-fixing and point-shaving, the NBA isn’t just tolerating gambling — the league has embraced betting as an integral part of its economic future.

A week before Porter came under investigation, the league announced its plans to roll out a new function on League Pass that would display live odds during games and allow viewers to place bets through DraftKings and FanDuel.

This is the latest step in the league’s partnership with the sports gambling industry. The NBA formerly partnered with DraftKings and FanDuel in 2021, which included the launch of the NBABet channel on NBA TV. It’s the reality of basketball now — games have evolved to become a product for gambling in addition to a leisure activity for fans of the sport.

But for veterans like DeRozan, this reality isn’t necessarily the ideal.

“If you a fan, you a fan,” DeRozan said. “I just feel like it takes away the purity of the game and the love of the game. It should be about being a fan. I don’t think you can necessarily be a complete fan if you’re worrying about somebody getting three assists or whatever it may be.”

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