Alleged texts revealed in which Damon Jones leaked info on LeBron James

The biggest news in the NBA on Thursday just so happened to be that several former and current players were arrested in a crackdown on allegedly rigged poker games and illegal sports gambling.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones was among the people arrested, and it’s alleged that he leaked information about Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James’ availability for a game in the 2022-23 season before his status was made public.

Now, alleged text messages in which Jones leaked information on James have been revealed. First off, he allegedly messaged a co-conspirator to “get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight” ahead of a matchup between the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks in February of 2023. James missed that game with ankle soreness.

“James was unaware that Jones, his former teammate and assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was involved in gambling activity when Jones spent time around James and the Lakers during the 2022-23 season, the source said,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote. “The federal indictment alleges that before a Lakers game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9, 2023, Jones texted a coconspirator to ‘get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight’ because James was going to be out.”

Jones also appeared to encourage the person he texted to make a big enough bet that there would be plenty to go around.

“Jones allegedly added via text: ‘Bet enough so Djones can eat [too] now!!!'” McMenamin relayed.

Jones never officially served on the Lakers’ coaching staff, but he was around the team quite often back in the 2022-23 campaign. The team’s head coach at the time, Darvin Ham, let him be involved in team activities after Jones was in attendance for plenty of James’ offseason workouts back in the summer of 2022.

James reportedly had no idea that Jones was allegedly involved in illicit gambling practices when he was spending so much time with him and the storied franchise.

The Lakers organization, James and head coach J.J. Redick have yet to make any notable comments on the allegations regarding Jones. The Lakers offered no comment when ESPN reached out on Thursday morning.

Not only that, but following Thursday’s practice, Redick didn’t have much to say outside of noting that the NBA’s anti-gambling rules have been reiterated to his team already this season.

For as much of a distraction as the Jones controversy is, the Lakers can’t let all of that noise impact their play when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Los Angeles is still looking for its first win of the new campaign after it lost to the Golden State Warriors on opening night, and an 0-2 start to the season wouldn’t be optimal.