Published on: November 16, 2025, 03:13h.
Updated on: November 16, 2025, 03:13h.
In light of recent federal charges linked to various illicit betting operations, The Athletic has reported that the NBA has engaged an independent legal firm to manage the preservation of pertinent information. This firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, headquartered in Manhattan, is requesting documentation, communications, and mobile devices from several teams, including the LA Lakers.
Reports from The Athletic indicate that at least ten employees of the Lakers linked to Damon Jones may be approached, following assertions that the ex-NBA player, a long-time associate of LeBron James, illegally disseminated confidential injury details concerning Lakers players.
“The NBA has commissioned an independent law firm to delve into the accusations laid out in the indictment as soon as it was made public,” a league spokesperson shared with The Athletic, emphasizing the cooperation of teams and personnel in complying with information preservation and collection requests.
Two Lakers staff members closely affiliated with LeBron James—assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims—have voluntarily offered their cell phones for review and are cooperating fully. Importantly, neither they nor James has been implicated in any misconduct or included in federal charges.
According to the details of Jones’ indictment, he is accused of selling sensitive injury information on several occasions. One specific instance mentioned occurred on the morning of February 9, 2023, when he learned a Lakers star would be sidelined for a game against the Milwaukee Bucks and texted a co-conspirator to “place a substantial bet on Milwaukee.”
Another instance noted in the allegations dates back to January 2024, where Jones is accused of sharing confidential injury insights regarding a different Lakers player’s projected performance.
Various reports and legal documents have also pointed to cases involving organizations such as the Hornets, Raptors, Trail Blazers, and a former player from the Orlando Magic.
The league is under increased scrutiny regarding its gambling integrity measures and is contemplating potential changes to its policies, particularly in relation to injury reporting.
Current Controversy in Sports Betting
Adding to the intrigue, Kalshi recently took the bold step of introducing NBA player prop markets to its trading options. As reported by Front Office Sports, users can now engage in trading contracts on over/under statistics for points, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers.
It is important to note that Kalshi operates under federal commodities regulations, making it distinct from traditional sportsbooks, as it utilizes trading limits and integrity safeguards.