Tyreke Evans might have played his last game in the NBA and the Indiana Pacers after failing a drug test.
The Indiana Pacers and National Basketball Association announced that Tyreke Evans has been disqualified from the league for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug program.
Typically, NBA players begin the off-season by flying to an exotic destination or traveling home to visit family and friends. Unfortunately for the twenty-nine year old free agent, Evans was notified that he’ll be ineligible to return to the NBA for the next two seasons.
The news comes less than a week after his exit interview with the team.
This is clearly not the start to the summer the free agent wing was hoping for. After an underwhelming initial season in Indiana, Evans is an unrestricted free agent and was most likely going to play for his fifth team in three years this fall.
He averaged 10.7 points and 2.4 assists in 69 appearances for the Pacers during the regular season. He posted career lows in a litany of areas, including scoring, field-goal percentage, rebounds and assists. His 38.9% shooting from the field was the worst of his career, as well.
As some ex-Pacers players, such as Monta Ellis and Al Jefferson, can attest, the league typically hands out five game suspensions for marijuana use. The fact Evans doesn’t have a prior drug offense (publically), yet is being disqualified from the NBA on this infraction means the league considers it a Drug of Abuse; more commonly, these are painkillers, and amphetamines.
Performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids and HGH don’t fall under the league’s Drugs of Abuse either.
Shortly after the news broke, the team released a statement via Twitter:
Statement on Tyreke Evans: https://t.co/0n2WI4zN3G pic.twitter.com/F7d2tFLrD8
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 17, 2019
Given the wording of the Pacers statement, it appears the situation regarding Evans drug use is serious. During past infractions made by players, the team didn’t release statements aside from concurring with the associations ruling.
Per league rules, the specifics of his analysis will not be revealed other than announcing he tested positive for a banned substance.
His dismissal from the league makes the 2009 Rookie of the Year the 11th player in NBA history to be disqualified due to drug use.
It is unknown if Evans will have the option to appeal his suspension. Under the rules of the Anti-Drug Program, he can apply for reinstatement two years from now. He will have just turned 32 years old at the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
His reinstatement is contingent on the circumstances surrounding his suspension, if he chooses to receive treatment and if he can pass every screening over a year time period.