Milwaukee Bucks star Bobby Portis has been suspended by the NBA for 25 games after violating the league’s anti-drug policy, according to multiple reports.

According to NBA Insider Chris Haynes, Portis ‘unknowingly’ took this substance that will see him miss all but the final four games of the regular season. He’s eligible to return for an April 8 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A statement released by Portis’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, says the 30-year-old accidentally took Tramadol – a substance that was just recently banned by the NBA last spring.

Portis was under the ᴀssumption that he was taking Toradol, a pain medication that is cleared by the league.

‘The Tramadol pill he took came from an ᴀssistant of his, with a valid prescription for the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol,’ Bartelstein said.

‘This was, again, an honest mistake that was made because of the similarity in the names of the drugs and the fact they both serve a very similar purpose. Bobby was using this anti-inflammatory pain-reducing medication to deal with an elbow injury he had this past fall and believed he was taking Toradol to alleviate some pain in preparation for that night’s game.’

Bobby Portis of the Bucks has been suspended 25 games for violating NBA drug policy

Portis’ agent says he accidentally took a banned pain killer – Tramadol – which has a similar name to Toradol, a drug that has been approved by the NBA for pain management

Bartelstein added that his client was a ‘great person, teammate and professional, and has a wonderful reputation in our league, his communities, and his team.’

Later in the statement, Bartelstein said that he and his client both support the league’s drug policy.

He added, ‘Bobby Portis is absolutely not a drug abuser. Bobby works tirelessly on increasing his performance in all natural, legal, healthy ways, but he made a mistake and took a pill that unknowingly he should not have.

‘Today, in this instance, I am so deeply disappointed that the NBA chooses to interpret its policy so strictly, and that the policy does not allow for a different result for an honest mistake with pure intentions.’

Tramadol was added to the 2024 list of prohibited drugs by WADA – the World Anti-Doping Agency – after research studies found it had the potential to enhance sports performance.

An article from USADA – the United States Anti-Doping Agency – in 2017 highlighted the addictive tendencies of the narcotic pain-killer which at the time was prevalent for its rampant use in cycling. Studies eventually led to its ban by WADA and then by the NBA in 2024.

Portis has never been previously suspended by the NBA for drug-related issues.

This season, Portis is averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.2 ᴀssists per game across a 25.2 minutes per game. The Bucks currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.