Yuta Watanabe signs with the Phoenix Suns
Yuta Watanabe is a member of the Phoenix Suns, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
Free agent Yuta Watanabe has agreed on a deal with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2023
The contract details have yet to be reported.
The Suns have been active in the early stages of free agency, set on adding depth to a star-studded roster. Thus far into the cycle, Phoenix has signed center Drew Eubanks and forward Keita Bates-Diop.
Watanabe, 28, is coming off the best season of his five-year career. In 2022-23, he averaged 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Those numbers do not jump off the page, but Watanabe was a bench piece and only played 16 minutes a night. What is more important is that Watanabe was blistering hot from 3, finishing the season shooting 44.4% from behind the arc.
The Suns have been incredibly active this offseason, headlined by a blockbuster trade for Bradley Beal. That move created a core built around Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Beal.
The Suns have their superstars, but they entered free agency with a desperate need of role players. They have addressed that need quickly. At a minimum, Watanabe can come off the bench, sit in a corner on offense and hit three-pointers. It is not the most complex task in the world. Although, in an offense filled with elite offensive threats, he can punish teams that opt to leave him open.
On top of Watanabe, Bates-Diop can provide strong defense and Eubanks is a solid depth piece in the frontcourt. No, these guys are not superstars, but they are all capable of helping the Suns win games. The Suns did not have the financial capability of doing much better, either.
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