The NBA announced Friday that guard Tyreke Evans has been dismissed and disqualified from the league for violating the terms of the NBA/National Basketball Players Association anti-drug program.
Under the program, he is eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years.
Evans, 29, played for the Indiana Pacers this season, averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.3 minutes per game. He was due to become a free agent this offseason.
The Pacers said they were informed Friday of Evans’ discipline.
“We take these matters seriously and will reach out to Tyreke to offer our support,” the team 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 out of Memphis with the fourth overall pick in 2009. He has also played for the New Orleans Pelicans and the 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.
Among players who have been banned under the policy, the most recent are O.J. Mayo and Chris Andersen. Others include Roy Tarpley, Richard Dumas, Micheal Ray Richardson, Lewis Lloyd, Duane Washington and Stanley Roberts, many of whom were reinstated.
A player can be reinstated only with the approval of both the NBA and the players’ association.
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