The NBA informed the Phoenix Suns on Thursday that center DeAndre Ayton has tested positive for a diuretic, which violates the league’s anti-drug policy, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Ayton is now facing a 25-game suspension.
Wojnarowski also reports that the NBPA is preparing an arbitration case that will argue Ayton’s violation falls under the CBA provision of “unintentional ingestion,” which could lessen or even revoke his suspension.
Wojnarowski points to follow-up testing on Ayton that didn’t show traces of any other banned substance. The NBPA reportedly plans to push for a quick resolution to Ayton’s situation with a focus on getting a reduced punishment.
Ayton has released a statement apologizing for what he's calling an "unintentional mistake" where he claims to have "put something in my body that I was completely unaware of."