Jabari Bird pleads not guilty to kidnapping, strangulation charges: Bail set at $100,000

BOSTON -- Jabari Bird was arraigned in Brighton District Court on Thursday morning on charges of kidnapping, strangulation, and assault and battery stemming from an alleged domestic incident with his girlfriend on Friday night at his residence. Bird pleaded not guilty to the charges. Bail was set at $100,000 by the judge, with $50,000 required in cash.

Prosecutors said Bird repeatedly strangled his girlfriend on Friday night to the point of unconsciousness. The police report indicates the ordeal happened over the course of four hours and he allegedly attacked her 12 times in that span. The report says he also dragged her by her ankles when she tried to escape at one point and trapped her in a bathroom. She was able to leave the residence after Bird experienced "seizure-like" symptoms. The victim told police that she left Bird in a "safe space."

Bird's lawyer did not go into details on his defense at the arraignment, stating there were two sides of every story. Bird's high school coach has been brought in to supervise him upon his release.

The Celtics released a new statement following the arraignment on Thursday:

"Most importantly, our thoughts are with the victim of this incident. The Celtics organization deplores domestic violence of any kind, and we are deeply disturbed by the allegations against Jabari Bird. Pursuant to Domestic Violence Policy in the NBA’s labor agreement, matters of this kind are handled by the League Office, not the team, and so the Celtics will be working with both the league and local authorities to assist in their ongoing investigations. The team will have no further comment at this time."

BSJ Analysis: It's safe to assume that Bird will not play another minute for the Celtics after these charges. The only question now is whether the team will be able to void his contract based on rules in the collective bargaining arraignment to prevent Bird's $1.3 million cap hit for next season (which is bigger than that when you factor in luxury tax penalties). It's unclear just yet whether the CBA will allow for that, but the guess here is that Bird will be on the roster until there is some clarity on that front.