Home for the all-star break, Bahamian professional basketball player DeAndre Ayton found himself in problems with the law, and then dismissed, on Tuesday.
National team player Ayton was arrested by Bahamian authorities at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) and then subsequently released. Ayton, the starting center for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), was on his way to the United States.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., a black suitcase with Ayton’s name tag and the Lakers’ logo attached, was searched, and during the search, a package of what was suspected to be marijuana was found inside the bag. The bag also had a white airport tag with a different name attached to it.
At this point, Ayton and another person he was traveling with were brought downstairs from the departure lounge, questioned and arrested by Bahamian police. Sources told The Guardian that American authorities at LPIA were not made aware of the situation.
Ayton reportedly made several phone calls, including one to a high ranking government official, and another to his lawyer, and was subsequently released after being briefly detained at the Airport Police Station.
Ayton and a traveling partner were originally scheduled to fly on Delta flight number 1965 to Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday afternoon, later connecting on Delta flight 0301 to Los Angeles, California. The Bahamian NBA player is set to play for the Lakers when they host crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, on Friday.
As it relates to the incident yesterday, efforts to contact government officials proved fruitless, and Bahamian police are yet to release a statement.
The Guardian reached out to Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles, who did not respond to inquires — both via calls and text.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Roberto Goodman, who has responsibility for the Drug Enforcement Unit, said he was at a function and told The Guardian to contact the force’s press unit.
Chief Superintendent Sheria King, the press liaison officer, ignored The Guardian’s questions on the matter.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe did not respond to inquires on the matter either.
Ayton is having an up-and-down season with the Lakers.
The former number one overall draft pick of the Phoenix Suns has been sporadic and inconsistent in his first year with the purple and gold. For the first time in his eight-year career, Ayton is not averaging a double-double, albeit he is not that far off.
Ayton has started all 46 games played for the Lakers this season, and is at a career-low 13.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. However, he is shooting a career-high 67.5 percent from the field – second in the NBA to Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Ayton has 17 double-doubles this season, currently in a three-way tie for 16th in the league.
After being drafted number one overall out of the University of Arizona, Ayton spent the first five years of his professional career with the team that drafted him – the Suns. Ayton helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021 where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. In his first career postseason, Ayton averaged 15.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per game while shooting an NBA-record 65.8 percent from the field. He was a consistent performer for the Suns, averaging double figures scoring and rebounding in each of his five years in Phoenix.
Ayton was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in September 2023 as part of a three-team deal that sent nine-time all-star and former NBA first teamer Damian Lillard to the Bucks. Following two seasons in Portland where he averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, Ayton and the Blazers finalized a contract buyout in June 2025, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Bahamian pro player signed a two-year contract with the Lakers in 2025 and has started each game he has played for the Lakers at the center position this season.
In total, Ayton has started all but seven games out of 444 in his eight-year career.
For the national team, Ayton was a significant piece in helping The Bahamas reach the doorstep of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, in men’s basketball. The Bahamas reached the final of the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain, in July 2024, before falling to the host country in the championship game. Just the winner of that tournament moved on to the Olympics, and with the loss, The Bahamas was denied an opportunity to place a team sport in the Olympics for the first time in its sporting history.
Up to late yesterday evening, it couldn’t be confirmed if Ayton had reached his final destination of Los Angeles, California.