Deandre Ayton suspended for drug violation

Suns' Deandre Ayton tests positive for diuretic, gets 25-game ban

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, has been suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA-NBPA's anti-drug policy with a positive test for a diuretic, the league announced Thursday night.

The National Basketball Players Association plans to file arbitration papers immediately on behalf of Ayton, believing that there will be a case to have the penalty reduced or rescinded based on a collective bargaining agreement provision of "unintentional ingestion," league sources told ESPN.

Diuretics are banned because they can mask performance-enhancing drug use. Sources with knowledge of Ayton's testing told ESPN that follow-up testing on him showed no traces of any other banned substances.

The NBPA has the ability to expedite two cases a year with the league, and sources say it's likely the union will use one of them on Ayton to try to get him back on the court as soon possible.

Sounds like there's a decent chance it'll be overturned/reduced, but it seems a harsh penalty given the circumstances (and the follow-up test that confirms it wasn't being used to mask performance-enhancing drugs). Rules are rules I guess, and it goes to show how careful players have to be.

Since these reports do not say what the banned substance was, it is hard to say. Why was the substance in his system anyway? IF not to flush something out? I think it is more likely that the suspension would be reduced rather than overturned. On another note, it is nice to see the Suns are doing so well, even if Ayton is absent. I like how well the plays are executed for the Suns. They can only get better with Ayton in the lineup.

From the sounds of it, it's another case of taking something without making sure it doesn't contain anything that violates the NBA's anti-drug policy. Most of the league's drug-related suspensions - at least those that aren't for illicit substances - have tended to be accidental like that.

with the players being so pampered these days, it is big surprise how an "accident" like that happens... especially to a player of Ayton's profile. it would be a unprecedented move by the league if the suspension gets reduced.

Certainly possible it'll be upheld under a ruling of carelessness not being an excuse.