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DWI-Related Charge Dropped Against Magic’s Paolo Banchero, per Report

Duke forward Paolo Banchero warms up before a game.

Former Duke forward Paolo Banchero warms up before a game.

An aiding and abetting DWI charge against Paolo Banchero was dropped Thursday after his former Duke teammate Michael Savarino pleaded guilty to a DWI earlier in the week, the Raleigh News & Observer’s Stephen Wiseman reports.

The decision is “standard procedure” once Savarino chose to cooperate with the case and agreed to a plea deal.

Savarino, grandson of former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and Banchero were arrested in November when Savarino ran a stop sign and was suspected of driving while intoxicated under the age of 21 with Banchero in the back seat. Savarino, 20 years old at the time, was pulled over and given a breathalyzer test. He showed a blood alcohol content of .08%.

Neither player is returning to Duke next year, as Banchero was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft last month to the Magic and Savarino is transferring to NYU.

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