Hornets forward/center Montrezl Harrell was scheduled to be arraigned Monday on felony drug charges stemming from a traffic stop in Richmond, Ky., last month, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer.
Harrell will be an unrestricted free agent next month.
Harrell, 28, was initially pulled over by a Kentucky state trooper on May 12 while driving on I-75 because the trooper said Harrell was following the vehicle in front of him too closely, according to the police report.
The trooper observed an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and Harrell “admitted to being in possession of marijuana and produced a small amount from his sweatpants,” according to the report.
A search of the vehicle, which Harrell claimed was rented, found three pounds of marijuana in vacuum sealed bags. He has been charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana.
Under Kentucky law, possessing or trafficking eight or more ounces but less than five pounds of marijuana is a Class D Felony for first-time offenders. It is punishable by 1-5 years of incarceration with a fine ranging from $1-10,000. The Hornets declined comment, according to Boone.
The NBA stopped testing for marijuana in 2020 and that policy continued into this season. Harrell began the season with the Wizards and appeared in 46 games. He was traded to Charlotte in February and appeared in 25 more games, averaging 11.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG.