Ex-Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans banned from NBA for drug policy violations

Former Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans has been banned from the National Basketball Association for at least two years for violating the league’s drug policies. The NBA did not identify what substance(s) were found to lead to the ban.

Evans played 69 games for Indiana this past season, averaging 10 points-per-game. In response the the ban, the Pacers issued a short statement: “We take these matters seriously and will reach out to Tyreke to offer our support.”

The 29-year old Evans played 69 games for Indiana during the recently-completed season, averaging 10 points-per-game.

The free agent out of the University of Memphis has played in the NBA for 10 seasons, beginning with Sacramento where he was the league’s Rookie of the Year for the 2009-10 season.

New Orleans acquired Evans from the Kings in a trade in July 2013 via a sign-and-trade deal involving three teams. The deal sent Robin Lopez to the Portland Trail Blazers and Greivis Vásquez to the Kings. Evans was traded by the Pels along with Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway and two draft picks back to Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi.

Evans came to Indiana for the 2018-19 season after playing the previous year for the Memphis Grizzlies.