NBA Collecting Player Cell Phones Following Federal Indictments — Report

Following federal indictments tied to multiple illegal sports betting schemes, The Athletic reports that  the NBA has hired an independent law firm to oversee information preservation. That firm (Manhattan-based Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz) is requesting cell phones, messages and documents from multiple teams, including the LA Lakers.

At least 10 Lakers employees connected to Damon Jones are expected to be contacted, according to The Athletic, following allegations that the former NBA player and longtime associate of LeBron James sold non-public injury information about Lakers players.

“The NBA engaged an independent law firm to investigate the allegations in the indictment once it was made public,” a league spokesperson told The Athletic in a statement, adding that teams and staff have been cooperating with preservation and collection requests.

Two Lakers staffers closely connected to LeBron James — assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims — have voluntarily provided their phones and are cooperating, The Athletic reported. Neither they nor James have been accused of wrongdoing or named in federal charges.

According to Jones’ indictment, he is alleged to have sold confidential injury information on multiple occasions. One cited example states that on the morning of February 9, 2023, before public disclosure, he learned a Lakers star would miss a game against the Milwaukee Bucks and texted a co‑conspirator to “get a big bet on Milwaukee.”

Another allegation describes a January 2024 instance in which Jones shared non‑public injury information about a different Lakers player’s expected performance.

Reports and filings have referenced matters involving several organizations, including the Hornets, Raptors, Trail Blazers, and a former Orlando Magic player.

The league has faced broader scrutiny over gambling‑related integrity controls and is evaluating potential policy changes, including its injury-reporting practices.

Scandal, What Scandal?

This might seem like an inappropriate time for Kalshi to add NBA player prop markets to its menu of offerings. But that’s just what the prediction market did last week. According to Front Office Sports, its users can reportedly now trade contracts on over/unders for points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers.

Kalshi’s not a sportsbook, however; it operates, with trading limits and integrity monitoring, under federal commodities regulation.