Yuta Watanabe Articles - Page 2

Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe will play for the Japanese national team in this summer’s FIBA Basketball World Cup. Yuta is representing his home country of Japan in the @FIBA World Cup, with games starting this Friday! 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/Qw1SrXeIBS — Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 23, 2023 Watanabe, who signed a two-year contract with the Suns […]

The Phoenix Suns needed to upgrade their depth following a 2023 playoff run in which they were exposed by the NBA champion Denver Nuggets. The Suns did so with several shooters and players with upside, including former Brooklyn Nets wing Yuta Watanabe. Watanabe played the start of last season with Suns forward Kevin Durant and […]

In preparation for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe had his first training session with the Japanese men’s national basketball team this year around on Sunday, per Mainichi Japan. The 28-year-old should have a major role for Team Japan when the tournament begins on Aug. 25. In fact, Watanabe is “expected […]

Yuta Watanabe, one of the Phoenix Suns’ latest signings, is going all-in in Japan’s hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The 6-foot-9 sweet-shooting Suns forward vowed that he will lead the so-called “Akatsuki Five” to victories in the World Cup that they will co-host with the Philippines and Indonesia. He even said that if […]

The Phoenix Suns made major changes this offseason, beginning with trading Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal. After the blockbuster deal, the Suns have since restructured their roster around their new big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal (four if you include Deandre Ayton) through NBA free agency. Phoenix […]

The Phoenix Suns added four players who they hope will provide an impact in the team’s push for a championship: forward Keita Bates-Diop; forward Yuta Watanabe; forward Chimezie Metu; and center Drew Eubanks. They joined a team with four players under max contracts, guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, forward Kevin Durant and center Deandre […]

Yuta Watanabe is no star. However, the 28-year-old emerged as a fan favorite during his stint with the Brooklyn Nets this past season. This is probably why more than a few Nets fans were sad to see him go in NBA free agency to follow former Brooklyn superstar Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns. It […]

Unrestricted free agent Yuta Watanabe has agreed on a deal with the Phoenix Suns, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Watanabe played with Suns forward Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets this past season and was a very effective shooter off Durant’s offensive creation. Last season, Watanabe shot 44.4 percent from 3-point range and 45.7 […]

The Golden State Warriors enter 2023 NBA free agency effectively armed with three open roster spots and only minimum contracts to offer players available on the open market. Draymond Green’s return is a foregone conclusion by now, but even his stunning departure wouldn’t garner the financial flexibility needed for the Dubs to add a big-name […]

Damian Lillard rocked the basketball world earlier in the offseason when he said he was headed to the Los Angeles Lakers. Dame was only joking around when he made that loaded declaration, but at the same time, you can’t really blame LA fans for dreaming of a Big 3 scenario featuring Lillard, LeBron James, and […]

Mike James and Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe have surfaced as “potential targets” for the Phoenix Suns in NBA free agency, according to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein. The Suns are testing the second apron in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. They will have to fill the rest of their roster with minimum contracts. […]

The Boston Celtics may have fallen short of their ultimate goal of claiming banner number 18 this past season, but it’s evident that they’re quickly trying to retool to better their odds of achieving such a task come 2023-24. Already they’ve made a major splash to kick off the NBA offseason by executing a blockbuster […]

The Phoenix Suns are looking for players who fit around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. One of Durant’s teammates with the Brooklyn Nets might be in that category. The Athletic’s John Hollinger wrote in his top free-agent small forward guide that Yuta Watanabe could be a fit for the Suns who need to look at […]

With $49 million in projected cap space entering the 2023 offseason, the Utah Jazz have more than enough resources to shore up their rotation. In the backcourt rotation, guards Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Ochai Agbaji will be under contract. The Jazz’s frontcourt rotation will be comprised of at least forwards […]

Yuta Watanabe has been making quite a name for himself among Brooklyn Nets fans since joining the team during the offseason. He’s no star and is far from a household name, but the 28-year-old has been making enough noise to be talked about in league circles. For his part, however, former NBA star Chandler Parsons […]

The Brooklyn Nets have reportedly made decisions on three role players for the rest of the season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Nets will guarantee the contracts of three minimum signings from this offseason: Yuta Watanabe, Edmond Sumner and Markieff Morris. Watanabe has been among the breakout stories of the NBA season, leading […]

Yuta Watanabe has been one of the surprise players of the season for the Brooklyn Nets but he recently has been sidelined due to hamstring issues. Now it appears as if the Nets will be without Watanabe for at least another week as per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. #Nets injury updates 👇🏾 […]

Nets forward Yuta Watanabe will remain out for Wednesday’s game against Washington with hamstring tightness, according to head coach Jacque Vaughn. “He’s still having some awareness in that hamstring,” Vaughn said Monday of Watanabe’s injury. The forward has missed Brooklyn’s last four games with the injury. Vaughn said Watanabe underwent further imaging on the hamstring […]

Yuta Watanabe has been a revelation for the Brooklyn Nets this season. Amid all of the chaos with Kyrie Irving and the other stars, Watanabe has quietly become a key part of their rotation. He’s been incredible for them as a secondary piece alongside the stars. Because of that, Irving gave outlandish praise for Watanabe […]

Yuta Watanabe has emerged as one of the Brooklyn Nets most productive players this season, but it appears as if the team will be without him for the foreseeable future. The team has one more game on the current road trip against the Indiana Pacers on Friday and Watanabe will not be active for that […]

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn provided injury updates on TJ Warren and Yuta Watanabe ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nets ruled out Watanabe with hamstring tightness Tuesday. The 28-year-old, who signed a non-guaranteed contract with Brooklyn this summer, has been one of the feel-good storylines of the NBA over the […]

Following a 2021-22 season in which the Brooklyn Nets were in desperate need of wings, they decided to take a flier on Yuta Watanabe this offseason. Watanabe, a 28-year-old from Japan, played four years at George Washington before going undrafted in 2018. The forward spent two seasons with Memphis bouncing between the G-League and NBA […]

Like their summer, the Brooklyn Nets’ start to the 2022-23 season has been a tumultuous ride. From Steve Nash’s firing to Kyrie Irving’s suspension to Ben Simmons’ early struggles, it was not an exaggeration to say you could not have scripted a worse open to the year. However, the Nets have found success as of […]

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn provided injury updates on Yuta Watanabe and T.J. Warren at practice Friday. Watanabe turned in a limited practice after spraining his ankle Monday during Brooklyn’s loss at Dallas. Vaughn said Watanabe will miss the Nets’ back-to-back against the Lakers and Clippers this weekend but is “trending in the right […]

The Toronto Raptors emerged as one of Kevin Durant’s potential destinations during his highly publicized trade saga with the Brooklyn Nets. Obviously, nothing materialized in that regard. Rumor has it that the Nets wanted Scottie Barnes as part of the deal — something that the Raptors were just having none of. At this point, the […]

There wasn’t much to take away from the Toronto Raptors’ 45-point thrashing to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. Indeed, there hasn’t been much to take away from a number of games this season—when they’ve even been played at all. A brutal combination of injuries and mounting COVID-19 infections has made pertinent macro analysis on […]

Yuta Watanabe returned to the court for the Toronto Raptors in a big way Wednesday night. With just under 11 minutes remaining the fourth quarter, and with the Raptors trailing the Memphis Grizzlies by one, Malachi Flynn sped to the corner to try and contest a Dillon Brooks three. Brooks patiently waited for Flynn to […]

In what may have been the most fun game of the Toronto Raptors’ season to date, they managed to oust the pesky Memphis Grizzlies thanks to a number of thrilling performances. Toronto is now just one game away (Friday against the Indiana Pacers) from completing its 13-day, six-game road trip, its longest journey of the […]

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards gave Toronto Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe quite a night to remember after dunking all over him during Friday’s game. However, while the dunk was truly impressive, Watanabe’s reaction after the embarrassing poster is also worth highlighting. After getting right up, Watanabe seemed to be a little dazed to what happened. […]

Newly drafted Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant wore the No. 12 throughout his career at Murray State. Most players like to keep their collegiate number when drafted to the NBA, but in Morant’s case, it was already taken by his new teammate, Yuta Watanabe. Morant didn’t want to press the issue, but he did […]