The NBA has suspended Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison for the first eight games of the upcoming season, Marc Stein of ESPN reports:
The NBA will suspend Kings guard Darren Collison for the first eight games of the NBA season, according to league sources
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 2, 2016
Collison pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after a he was involved in a domestic violence incident with his wife in May.
Darren Collison Suspended for Domestic Violence
Stein later tweeted that Collison will be able to participate in all practices and play in all of Sacramento’s preseason games; he’ll only be kept out of the eight regular season games.
Collison’s domestic violence case leaves questions about his next NBA contract. The seven-year veteran out of UCLA is in the final year of his deal this season, meaning that he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the 2017 off-season. It may be difficult for Collison, a back-up point guard, to get another contract, given his baggage.
Collison averaged 14 points and 4.3 assists in 30 minutes per game for the Kings last season. He played in 74 games and started 15. The eight-game suspension will keep him out until Sacramento’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 8th.
With Collison out of the lineup, the Kings don’t have many good options at point guard. Ty Lawson, who’s had plenty of trouble with the law himself, may be the team’s starter on opening night. Jordan Farmar and Isaiah Cousins are the only other point guards on the roster.
Collison’s actions continue Sacramento’s seemingly never-ending cycle of dysfunction. The Kings will likely look to get rid of Collison as soon as possible, either through a mid-season trade or by letting him walk in 2017 free agency.
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