Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton was briefly detained on Tuesday at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas. The detention stemmed from a suspicion of being in possession of a "very small amount of marijuana."

According to Ayton's lawyer, Devard Francis, the incident occurred while Ayton, a native of the Bahamas and a member of its men's national team, was at the airport. Francis clarified that the marijuana in question was found in someone else's bag, not Ayton's. Following a brief investigation by authorities, Ayton was expeditiously released.

Francis informed Reuters that investigators confirmed the minimal amount of marijuana was not in Deandre Ayton's personal belongings, leading to his swift release. While marijuana has been removed from the NBA's banned substance list and is no longer tested for under the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), it remains an illegal substance in the Bahamas.

The 27-year-old Ayton is currently in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The team is scheduled to return from the All-Star break on Friday, playing a home game against the LA Clippers.