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Tristan Thompson has been handed a 25-game suspension by the NBA for violating its anti-drug program after testing positive for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033.
Both drugs are on the list of prohibited substances in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), under the heading ‘steroids and performance enhancing drugs’ (SPED).
Ibutamoren is considered a ‘growth hormone’, while SARM LGD-4033 is often used by bodybuilders and weightlifters for muscle improvement.
Under the current CBA, a 25-game suspension is the standard for a player who not only tests positive for a SPED, but also violates the league’s anti-drug policy for the first time.
Thompson, a center for the Cleveland Cavaliers, will not be compensated as he misses a significant amount of playing time.
Tristan Thompson was given the long-term ban after testing positive for ibutamoren and SARM LGD-4033
The suspension, which takes effect Wednesday when the Milwaukee Bucs host the Cavs, will cost Thompson more than $726,000 of his $3,196,448 salary, meaning he will miss 1/110th of his pay per game.
The 32-year-old Canadian-American, who is in his twelfth NBA season, is averaging 3.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season.
Thompson, who shares a five-year-old daughter, True, with Khloe Kardashian, returns to the Cavaliers this season after bouncing around the league in recent years.
He was drafted by Cleveland and spent the first nine years of his NBA career there, from 2011 to 2020. He won a championship with the franchise, led by LeBron James, in 2016.
This season, Thompson was a backup to starting center Jarrett Allen. His 25-game suspension will be a concern for the Cavs as Evan Mobley is still recovering from a knee injury.
Damien Jones, a journeyman with stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz after being drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2016, could be a frontcourt starter for the team while Thompson’s sits out. He signed with the Cavs at the beginning of the season.
Two-time player Isaiah Mobley – Evan’s brother – is also an alternative, but he only started in three NBA games this season.