MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dante Cunningham returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Tuesday night’s game against San Antonio, just over 24 hours after being released from jail for his second arrest in three days.
The forward was in uniform and available to play against the Spurs, with the Wolves and the NBA following collectively bargained rules that require them to wait until the legal process plays out before deciding to issue any discipline.
Cunningham was charged last week with felony domestic assault for allegedly choking his girlfriend in his suburban Minneapolis home. He was released from jail, played in a game Saturday night against Orlando and was arrested again on Sunday following allegations that he sent threatening text messages to the woman.
Cunningham posted bail on Monday night, but authorities have not charged him off the second arrest while they continue to investigate. Medina Police said they were looking into phone and computer records, a process that could take some time.
“A decision on whether to charge Cunningham with any other crime will be made in the coming weeks,” the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday night.
Cunningham issued a statement through the team shortly after he arrived at Target Center for the game, but did not take any questions while the legal process plays out.
“The charges and accusations in my personal life have unintentionally placed my teammates and the organization in a challenging position,” Cunningham’s statement read. “I cannot comment on the charges, as we require that the facts play out through the legal process. Thank you for your understanding.”
In his fifth year in the league, Cunningham is averaging 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds this season. He is set to become a free agent on July 1 after completing the final year of his contract that pays him $2.1 million this season.
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