Jodie Meeks facing 25-game suspension for violation of anti-drug program
Washington Wizards guard Jodie Meeks will be suspended 25 games for violating the NBA/NBPA anti-drug program, a punishment that will vanquish him from the postseason roster, league sources told ESPN.
Meeks tested positive for banned compounds ipamorelin and growth-hormone-releasing peptide-2, sources said.
Washington, the No. 8 seed, will meet the first-seeded Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series on Saturday.
When reached Friday by ESPN, Meeks' lawyer Ben Levine of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani said: "It is regrettable that the NBA has prematurely taken action against Jodie today. Accordingly, we will appeal the suspension and vigorously defend Jodie's rights. Unfortunately, under the CBA, a player is guilty until proven innocent and while Jodie's appeal is pending he will be forced to sit out the playoffs."
Meeks, 30, has played 77 games for the Wizards this season, averaging 14.5 minutes and 6.3 points a game.
The NBA is expected to make a formal announcement today.
The suspension -- without pay -- will carry into the 2018-19 NBA regular season.
The suspension will cost Meeks $29,909 for each game he is suspended during the playoffs. The Wizards will receive $15,000 in tax savings for each game missed during the postseason. Meeks has a $3.5 million player option for next season and the remaining games will be deducted from his salary if he opts into his contract. The loss of pay next season is $31,045 per game.
Meeks has played with six NBA teams since Milwaukee drafted him 41st overall in the 2009 NBA draft. For his career, Meeks has averaged nearly 10 points a game.
