Rookies call off bet amid gambling rules concerns
ASHBURN, Va. – Two of the top picks in the NFL draft had some scratch on who would receive more votes for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
But since one of the two former LSU teammates made the wager public, both Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers said Friday during their respective rookie minicamps the bet had been canceled, citing that they were previously “uneducated” on the NFL’s gambling policy.
“We were uneducated on the gambling policy in the NFL. We learned about it last night,” Daniels said.
Nabers went on “The Pivot” podcast and first spilled the beans about the $10,000 wager. Former NFL wideout Keyshawn Johnson followed up with Daniels when the quarterback appeared on his podcast, “All Facts No Brakes.”
“He wasn’t supposed to tell anybody,” Daniels, who confirmed the bet amount, told Johnson. “We got a little something going on.”
Nabers and Daniels spoke Thursday night and called off the deal, Daniels said.
“We don’t want to get in trouble or anything. We’re focused on being the best players for our respective teams,” the second overall pick and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner added.
Nabers, who signed his rookie contract with the Giants on Friday, put together back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving campaigns after Daniels transferred to LSU before the 2022 season. Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and had 40 touchdowns with four interceptions last year. He rushed for another 10 touchdowns and 1,134 yards, averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
The NFL prohibits players “from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party, on any NFL game, practice or other event.” The policy once explicitly banned “private wagers between teammates, family and friends, or others,” although that language was not included in the most recent guidelines issued last year.
Still, the two rookies thought it would be best to denounce the bet.
“It was just another brother pushing another brother to try to get to success,” Nabers told reporters. “That’s all it was.”
Most of us can use a little luck.
And the Atlanta Hawks were on the fortunate end of the NBA’s draft lottery Sunday, winning the No. 1 pick.
The Hawks, who were 36-46 this season, had a 3 percent chance to win the lottery, and the longshot came in for Atlanta and general manager Landry Fields. This is the first time the Hawks have the No. 1 pick since 1975.
Washington landed the second pick, Houston the third, San Antonio the fourth and Detroit the fifth. Rounding out the remaining lottery picks: No. 6 to Charlotte, No. 7 to Portland, No. 8 to San Antonio, No. 9 to Memphis, No. 10 to Utah, No. 11 to Chicago, No. 12 to Oklahoma City, No. 13 to Sacramento and No. 14 to Portland.
There is no clear No. 1 pick. Frenchmen Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher have been projected No. 1 picks in mock drafts for the past year, but players like UConn’s Donovan Clingan and Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham have climbed draft boards.
According to the NBA, “Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 will be placed in a lottery machine. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating lottery teams.
“All 14 balls are placed in the lottery machine and they are mixed for 20 seconds, and then the first ball is removed. The remaining balls are mixed in the lottery machine for another 10 seconds, and then the second ball is drawn. There is a 10-second mix, and then the third ball is drawn. There is a 10-second mix, and then the fourth ball is drawn. The team that has been assigned that combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The same process is repeated with the 1. Atlanta Hawks 2. Washington Wizards 3. Houston Rockets 4. San Antonio Spurs 5. Detroit Pistons 6. Charlotte Hornets 7. Portland Trail Blazers 8. San Antonio Spurs 9. Memphis Grizzlies 10. Utah Jazz 11. Chicago Bulls 13. Sacramento Kings 14. Portland Trail Blazers
same ping-pong balls and lottery machine for the second through fourth picks.”
The remaining lottery teams are slotted in order of their draft odds. Detroit can’t slide any lower than No. 5, Washington no lower than No. 6, Charlotte no lower than No. 7, Portland no lower than No. 8 and San Antonio no lower than No. 9. After that, if a team doesn’t move into the top four via ping-pong ball selection, it can’t move up any higher than its draft lottery odds position.
For example, if Toronto, with the sixth-best odds to get a top-four pick doesn’t move in the top four, it can’t land a pick any better than No. 6. If Memphis doesn’t move into the top four, it can’t get a pick any better than No. 7 and so on.
The lottery is conducted in a separate room (with no communication devices, such as cell phones or computers) just before the draft lottery TV show.
Select media, NBA officials and representatives of the participating teams and the accounting firm Ernst & Young will be in attendance in the room for the drawings.