Charlotte Hornets forward Montrezl Harrell is facing a felony drug charge after he was pulled over in Kentucky last month.
The Charlotte Observerreports Harrell, 28, has been charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana after police said they found three pounds in his car during a traffic stop.
Harrell was pulled over by a Kentucky state trooper in Lexington on May 12 for following behind a vehicle too closely. The veteran NBA star allegedly “admitted to being in possession of marijuana and produced a small amount from his sweatpants.” Police subsequently searched his vehicle and discovered “three pounds of marijuana in vacuum sealed bags” in a backpack in the back seat.
For first-time offenders, the drug trafficking charge is a Class D felony in Kentucky and is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Harrell was scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning to answer the traffic citation.
After an illustrious career at the University of Louisville, Harrell was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. He spent three years in Texas before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017. Following a three-season stint there, Harrell signed a one-year deal with the L.A. Lakers, who traded him last summer to the Washington Wizards as part of a deal for Russell Westbrook.
Harrell averaged 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season with both the Wizards and the Hornets, who acquired him in February.
