According to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, Suns big man Deandre Ayton is scheduled to meet with the NBA by the end of this week to discuss his 25-game suspension for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program by testing positive for a diuretic.
Per Deveney’s league source, Ayton’s camp and the NBPA will present their case for a reduction of the suspension, arguing that Ayton ingested the banned diuretic by mistake.
[RELATED: Deandre Ayton Hit With 25-Game Suspension]
As we noted in our original piece regarding this story, part of the parties’ argument that the diuretic was taken unwittingly is based on Ayton’s drug test showing no traces of any other banned substances.
When asked yesterday if he had an update on the situation involving Ayton, Suns’ GM James Jones said the following:
“I don’t… that’s in the Player’s Association’s hands. We’re supporting Deandre. We’re focused on the team continuing to focus on the next game. That’ll take care of itself. I know he misses being out there with his teammates and whenever he comes back, we’ll be ready to re-integrate him and continue with this forward movement and momentum.”
Because God hates the Phoenix Suns, the NBA will probably tack on extra games to his suspension after the meeting.
Part of me is excited about how the team has looked but I can’t fight the feeling they’ll revert back to the worst team in the league, get the 6th pick, and use it to draft a unknown second round prospect with bad knees
God doesn’t hate Phoenix just Robert Sarver
“I took it by mistake” is a bad excuse for any pro athlete. You shouldn’t need supplements to succeed and if you use something, know what your putting in yourself.
That wasn’t a supplement. It was edible weed. Probably ate it by mistake at a friend’s house or party.
I can’t see the suspension being reduced at all. At the end of the day, you are responsible for what you put in your body. The only excuse that may fly, and has flown in other cases in sport, is a supplement being contaminated by an unlisted ingredient – but it doesn’t look to be the case here.
If it was a mistake like he says, he would’ve demanded the meeting the day he found out the test was bad. But he waits a week? That’s weak.
No other banned substances b/c the diuretic flushed his system?
I’m sure that this hit wasn’t from drinking a lot of green tea. The test literally looks for certain analytes. It’s far more likely he knew what he was taking.
This is the most hilarious part. They argue that nothing else was found in his system so he must be clean. LOL what do they think makes a diuretic suspicious enough to be a banned substance? It’s because it flushes traces of other substances away.
Intent or not 25 games, many other players have had much more serious off court dramas that also reflect badly on the NBA…must have been a super drug.
Gilbert Arenas suspension seems mediocre when compared to a 25 game suspension drug violation…
There is clearly more to the story
So what diuretic did he use and what was the “accidental source”