Suns' Edwards, 4 Others Named in Drug Charges

PHOENIX, Ariz.--Phoenix Suns players James Edwards, Jay Humphries and Grant Gondrezick and two former players were indicted by a county grand jury investigating cocaine trafficking, authorities said yesterday.

Phoenix Police Chief Ruben Ortega announced the indictments, which were returned Thursday. He said at a news conference that the indictments came after a two-month investigation by the police special investigations bureau and "the investigation still is ongoing."

Maricopa County Attorney Tom Collins said the investigation showed "the players were frequenting a local establishment and obtaining cocaine."

He said the probe "focused on individuals and individual acts and not on the Phoenix Suns organization as a whole."

The two former players were Garfield Heard and Mike Bratz.

Ortega said the narcotic drug referred to in the indictments was cocaine.

Collins said no times had been set for arraignment.

In New York, National Basketball Association spokesman Alex Sachare said earlier yesterday that league officials would have no comment "until we have a chance to read those indictment."

The NBA is the only professional sports league with a continuous drug program. The league already has issued lifetime suspensions for drug use against four players.

Suns General Manager Jerry Colangelo said the players would be allowed to play in Saturday night's final game of the regular season here against the Los Angeles Clippers "if they choose to."