The NBA and NBPA have reached an agreement to resume testing for performance-enhancing drugs when the season resumes in Orlando this summer, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Shortly after the league suspended the 2019/20 season in March, the two sides reached an agreement to halt drug testing for players. That agreement covered all forms of testing and was meant to address concerns regarding the proximity of drug testers and the sensitivity of drawing blood during the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the league and the players’ union have agreed to resume PED testing in Orlando, testing for recreational drugs will remain on hold, according to Charania. In other words, players won’t face potential marijuana-related fines or suspensions this summer.
Positive PED tests result in significantly harsher penalties than positive marijuana tests. Deandre Ayton (Suns) and John Collins (Hawks) each received 25-game bans earlier this season for violating the NBA’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.