O.J. Mayo’s free agency will last longer than expected after the 28-year-old guard was “dismissed and disqualified” from the league Friday for violating terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.
The specific nature of his dismissal was not disclosed, but Mayo will be able to apply for reinstatement in two years.
Under the program, players can be dismissed from the league for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs four times or for a single positive test for “drugs of abuse” (amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, LSD). Conviction of a crime involving the same set of drugs can also lead to dismissal, as can a failure to comply with the terms of a drug treatment program.