Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lawyer clears air on Deandre Ayton getting detained in Bahamas

By Yagya Bhargava | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 10:32 AM ET

Lakers big man Deandre Ayton ran into some trouble back home in the Bahamas, though it didn't last long.

The 26-year-old center was temporarily detained at an airport after authorities conducted a search over suspected marijuana possession.

The Central Division of the Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed that Ayton, who was born and raised in the Bahamas, was stopped at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

DeAndre Ayton's lawyer breaks silence

Ayton's attorney, Devard Francis, cleared up what actually happened. The substance in question was not even in Ayton's bag. It belonged to someone else traveling with him. After investigators figured that out, Ayton was released without any charges.

"The investigators saw that the actual very small amount of marijuana wasn't in Deandre's bag, but they still went through their investigations and he was released expeditiously," Francis said, per Jasper Ward of Reuters.

Marijuana remains illegal in the Bahamas, despite ongoing discussions about legalizing it for medical purposes.

The NBA, however, no longer tests players for the substance under the league's current collective bargaining agreement. It's been removed from the banned list entirely.

Ayton left the Bahamas years ago to chase his NBA dreams. He moved to San Diego for high school basketball and became one of the top recruits in the country by 2017.

ESPN ranked him as the No. 3 center that year. He committed to Arizona for one season before the Phoenix Suns made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.

According to his agent, Ayton is already on his way back to Los Angeles to rejoin the Lakers. The team returns from the All-Star break on Friday, Feb. 20, with a home game against the L.A. Clippers.

Yagya Bhargava

Yagya Bhargava began his professional journey as a chef, but his passion for sports eventually led him into sports journalism. He started writing in 2022 and has since published more than 5,000 articles covering the NFL and NBA. Along the way, he’s worked with outlets like The Cold Wire, Sportskeeda, The SportsRush, and The Big Lead

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