Indiana Pacers guard Tyreke Evans has been dismissed from the NBA for violating the league’s anti-drug program, the NBA said Friday.
Under the program, the 29-year-old who averaged 10.2 points per game last season and was due to become a free agent can apply for reinstatement in two years.
The Pacers said they were informed on Friday of Evans’s disqualification from the league.
“We take these matters seriously and will reach out to Tyreke to offer our support,” the Pacers said in a statement.
Evans has played 10 seasons in the NBA and was Rookie of the Year in 2010.
He was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the fourth overall pick in 2009 and has also played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.
According to the NBA’s guidelines, a player can be dismissed and disqualified from the league for testing positive for a drug of abuse, or if he is convicted of or pleads guilty to the use, possession or distribution of a drug of abuse.
However, the NBA, NBA teams, and the Players Association are prohibited from publicly disclosing information regarding the testing or treatment of any NBA player under the anti-drug program, other than to announce a player’s suspension or dismissal from the league. (Agence France-Presse)