Mike Scott’s Situation Still Cloudy

Days, weeks, and now months have gone by since Mike Scott’s July arrest. The power forward was arrested after a traffic stop when police found 35.2 grams of marijuana and 10.9 grams of MDMA. Between the two felony charges, he is facing up to 25 years in prison. Scott confessed to possession on camera, and that’s the last we have heard from him. He’s still a member of the Atlanta Hawks, and is under contract for the next two seasons.

The drugs found in Scott’s car have to undergo further testing, and it’s likely his trial won’t begin until late into the 2015-16 season or maybe even beyond that. However, the NBA does have the right to discipline him regardless of whether the legal process has been fully completed.

The team has made a ton of moves to try to find some talent on the wing, but they haven’t given any 4’s on the open market a look since Scott was arrested. I don’t think there’s any way Scott sees 25 years, but he might have to due jail time or participate in another form of punishment. Do the Hawks expect him to play between now and then? They really only have Mike Muscala to play backup minutes for Paul Millsap as of now, and options such as Glen Davis are on the open market.

Perhaps the Hawks are just as blinded to the situation as the public is, and are using a wait and see approach. Maybe they want to hold the rights to Scott for the duration of his potential suspension so they can keep him around.

If the NBA is planning on punishing Scott, when will it do so? What is the holdup?

The team could have easily cut ties with Scott after the arrest if they did not feel he was in their future plans. However, Scott’s future looks cloudy at best. Will he play for the Hawks this season? Will he never play another NBA minute? Both options are realistic, but it’s unclear what the future holds for the talented role player.

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