Ayton suspended 25 games for violating anti-drug policy

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has been suspended 25 games without pay for a violation of the league's anti-drug policy after testing positive for a diuretic, the NBA announced Thursday.

The National Basketball Players' Association has already begun to formulate a case against the proposed ban, arguing Ayton's violation was due to an "unintentional ingestion," an exception in the league's collective bargaining agreement, Wojnarowski adds.

The 21-year-old Bahamian will begin serving his suspension Friday when the Suns face the Denver Nuggets on the road.

Subsequent tests discovered no other banned substances in Ayton's system, and the players' union is hoping to push the appeal forward as quickly as possible in the hopes of reducing the center's punishment, Wojnarowski notes, citing sources.

Ayton was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft. He averaged 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks last season as a rookie. He had a strong showing in the Suns' 2019-20 season opener Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks in 33 minutes.