The Milwaukee Bucks will be without their top-scoring reserve for the foreseeable future.
Bobby Portis was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy, the league announced Thursday. The veteran forward tested positive for Tramadol, the NBA said.
Portis' suspension will begin for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Clippers and continue through the Bucks' April 6 game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Bucks have 29 games remaining in the regular season, so Portis will be eligible to return for their four games before the playoffs.
"I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation," Portis said in a statement. "During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. From the bottom of my heart, I want to apologize to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family, and fans."
In a statement provided to ESPN's Sham Charania, Portis' agent Mark Bartelstein said his client "unintentionally" took the wrong pain medication.
"I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant," Bartelstein said. "Bobby unintentionally took a pain medication called Tramadol, thinking he was taking a pain medication called Toradol. Toradol is an approved pain medication that he has previous used and that teams and players use for pain and inflammation at times.
"Tramadol, however, is not an approved pain medication and was just recently added to the banned substance list this past spring. The Tramadol pill he took came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription for the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol."
NBA
Portis, who turned 30 earlier this month, is in his fifth season with the Bucks. He has appeared in 46 games, primarily coming off the bench (7 starts), averaging 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Portis has been in the NBA since 2015, playing for the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks before joining the Bucks in 2020.
Milwaukee is currently 29-24, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference through the All-Star break. The team acquired forwards Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims at the trade deadline, and both will now be expected to play a larger role with Portis out of the lineup.
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