Tyreke Evans Banned From NBA for Violating Drug Policy

Folks, Tyreek Evans is done.

On Friday, at the zenith of end-of-week news dump time, the NBA announced that Evans, a 10-year veteran and former Rookie of the Year, has been "dismissed and disqualified" from the Association for violating the terms of his participation in the league's anti-drug program.

This is an absolutely crushing blow for a player who clearly still had more basketball left in him. As it stands, he'll be eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years.

Set to become a free agent in July, Evans spent the 2018-19 season with the Pacers, averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 20.3 minutes per contest. He's played a full decade in the league, and was famously selected No. 4 by the Kings in the 2009 draft-- three spots ahead of Stephen Curry.

The Indiana organization released a statement as soon as the news broke Friday afternoon:

Evans' particular violation is not for performance-enhancing substances, but rather what the league considers "drugs of abuse." According to the NBA collective bargaining agreement, drugs of abuse include cocaine, opiates , amphetamines, ketamine, PCP, and hallucinogens, among others. The league does not consider marijuana to be a part of this category.

This is a serious blow to a career that has been, while uneven at times, quite resilient. To think that the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year could have just seen his playing days end on anything but his own terms is disheartening. At the very least, if the guy really does have a drug problem, the hope is that he can get the help he truly needs.