After a two-year ban for violating the NBA/National Basketball Players Association anti-drug program, guard Tyreke Evans has been reinstated to play in the league.
Evans, 32, is eligible to begin negotiating with teams immediately and can sign a contract as soon as Friday at noon ET, the league announced on Monday.
Evans is considered to be in good physical condition and is expected to start making himself available to work out for teams. He has averaged 15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 594 career games.
Evans is the first player to be suspended and reinstated since Chris “Birdman” Andersen’s reinstatement in 2008. The NBA/NBPA drug policy calls for a player’s dismissal for two years if he tests positive for what’s considered a “drug of abuse.”
Evans was the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year with the Sacramento Kings (2009 to 2013), and he had stops with the New Orleans Pelicans (2013 to 2017), the Kings again (2017), the Memphis Grizzlies (2017-18) and the Indiana Pacers (2018-19).
Evans was the fourth overall pick out of Memphis in the 2009 NBA draft.