Los Angeles Lakers center and former top draft pick Deandre Ayton was detained for marijuana possession on Tuesday. According to reports, Ayton attempted to travel through a Bahamas airport while carrying the drug.
“Feb 17 (Reuters) – Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton was briefly detained on Tuesday at Lynden Pindling International Airport in the Bahamas on suspicion of being in possession of a small amount of marijuana, his lawyer and two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters,” Jasper Williams-Ward of Reuters reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Ayton is in his first season with the Lakers, his third stop in an eight-year NBA career. He signed a two-year deal in LA after a two-year stint with the Portland Trail Blazers. His run with the Phoenix Suns did not end on the brightest note, but he has found a role on the Lakers.
What this means for Ayton's availability moving forward is unknown. The Lakers begin the final stretch of the season on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Ayton has started 46 of LA's 54 games this season as their center, so missing him for such an important game would be a loss.
Ayton was a college basketball superstar, leading the Arizona Wildcats to a 27-8 record as an All-American in 2018. That made him the number one overall pick by the Suns that summer. There, he was key to their 2021 Finals appearance, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. But from Phoenix to Portland, it has not been the career many imagined for the center. His Lakers tenure had been going well, but this arrest could become a hiccup.
